Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Odin Sphere Redux
by X the Reaper
Summary: When the leader of OSG makes a deal with a certain Wizard Marshal to fix one of his many mistakes, he and his reluctant comrade will find themselves stuck in another world; lives tied to a white-clad magical girl as they face great trials against great friends and foes. What will come of this meeting? What difference can Knights of Shadows and Justice make to a White Devil's life?
1. The Deal

**Hello everybody, welcome to the revised version of ****Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Odin Sphere****. My efforts to revise this work have proven to bear fruit, and I hope that this time, I can actually give you all the new and improved direction I promised.**

**This time, the backstory's a little different, as well as the time where this fic takes place. The latter will be elaborated as the story goes on, but let's say for now on the former my Fate series has a lot more influence on the plot, though still not enough that I'd recommend reading them as a requirement.**

**But enough of this pointless rambling, let's get on to why you're all here! To all of my previous readers, I thank you for coming back! To my new viewers, happy to have you! On with the disclaimer! **

**Disclaimer: Odin Sphere and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha are property of Vanillaware and Altus, and Masaki Tsuzuki and Seven Arcs respectively. On a lesser note, due to references throughout, Fate Stay Night and Puella Magi Madoka Magica are property of Type-Moon and affiliated parties, and Gen Urobuchi and affiliated parties.**

**I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

_A second chance._

_A new beginning and chance to do something over. To have an opportunity to make amends for your failures and wrongdoings. It is perhaps the greatest mercy a person can be given, for how many are allowed the chance for forgiveness, to atone for past mistakes by fixing them personally. Many deserve it, few actually succeed._

_But what determines who is worthy of such a thing? Is it fate or perhaps random chance? Is it something to be given or earned?_

_Questions like those haunt the minds of many a person, but none so much as those had second chances, yet felt they didn't deserve them._

_In another world, a world both similar and yet utterly alien to what people consider 'normal', there exists a group of beings who believe in giving others second chances, second chances to fight for what's right and help correct the wrongs of the multiverse. Known as the _Ordinis Sancti Gladius_ (OSG), they are a bizarre and varied organization, yet few who know of them can deny their ability._

_Being personal friends with a old man who can essentially tear open portals to alternate realities and has no problem using them with impunity tends to give one a rep among the higher powers._

_However, this tale is not about this group as a whole, but rather on how two of its members found themselves pulled into a bizarre adventure in an unknown universe by that crazy old man due to a "favor" needing to be fulfilled. And on this journey, they would find their abilities and very core beliefs tested by the inhabitants of this strange new dimension, as well as their own growing feelings for it._

_It's said everybody deserves a second chance, but what about a third? And for that matter, how do we know when we truly have a 'second chance'?_

* * *

Edgar Silverstein, leader of OSG, stood alone in a secret room hidden underneath the headquarters of their organization and in front of the crystal monument located in the very center, silent as he gazed long and hard within its depths, as had become his custom whenever he visited. The room itself seemed to be carved of same pure crystal found solely within the most remote regions of the world, a veritable and beautiful display that reflected light that seemed to have no visible source. Across the polished mirror-like faces images flickered and repeated at random intervals, occasionally of the room and its occupants, sometimes of places on the other side of the world, people that Edgar was familiar with or had no clue to the identity of, even events that seemed to have already happened or perhaps were still waiting to occur.

And yet the crystal in the center of the room was the true item that drew one's attention, for there was someone _within _it, visible thanks to some internal light within it. A teenage girl, perhaps fourteen or so, with blue hair and dressed in what appeared to be a white jacket with a navy-blue undershirt was trapped within the object like a fly in amber, her lower body completely obscured from sight due to the light not penetrating there. She appeared to be sleeping, peacefully at that if the smile on her face was any indication.

But the smile did not fool him. If anything, it made his sadness at being unable to find a way to wake her even more potent. His eyes turned upon the one aberration in the flawless design: A black jewel that could fit in the palm of one's hand, surrounded by a silver-grey casing with a crescent moon formed on the front.

This was all that remained of the being once known as Sayaka Miki, one of his youngest and most promising recruits. He and his comrades had saved her from a literal hell on earth, seemingly one of two survivors of a great battle with an opponent he could only imagine the full strength of personally. The other had refused to come with them, stating she still had a final promise to fulfill. The girl had grown quickly into her new role, and he had once had hopes she would eventually become one of their greatest members.

But then came the accident, all because he underestimated what he was throwing her into on that mission, and in the end he had been forced to do the unthinkable to her (or rather, what was left of her) to save countless innocent lives. Now she lied here entombed, a reminder of his own mistakes and a constant subject of his efforts to make things right again.

Edgar was not a normal man. His white-grey/white-blond hair, natural despite him appearing merely in his twenties or so, and his mismatched eyes of brown and green instantly marked him from 'ordinary' people. His black pinstriped suit, complete with red undershirt and matching tie and shoes, made it apparent he had an appreciation for a few of the finer things in life and placed some value in the idea of a good appearance. However, those well-to-do garments hid the lean and hardened muscles of a fighter, and his eyes were those of a man who had seen and experienced far more than people seemingly thrice his age.

An apt description, for the simple reality was that Edgar Silverstein had walked this earth for nearly 150 years. Originally from a different world, a separate _universe_, and brought here by magic and the promise of a miracle, he had fought in a great war of magi and heroes for the sake gaining that fabled second chance denied to both him and those close to him. In the end, the prize was destroyed before his very eyes, and he would have taken his own life then and there had he not met an old man with uncanny powers, who gave him a new reason to live, his true second chance.

He had forged the group known as OSG in an effort to provide others with a similar chance, as well as ensure that fewer people would need such a chance in the first place. From all walks of life, species and even dimensions, these lucky persons had become a force to be reckoned with, dedicated to the idea of righting the multiverse's wrongs.

Heroes, some called them. He liked to think they were just doing what any decent creatures should.

And yet, they couldn't save everyone, as much as he would like to think they could. Sometimes they couldn't even save themselves.

"...Hey Sayaka," he greeted the being within the crystal. "It's been a long time since we've talked, huh? A year, I'd say. "

Silence, but he was expecting no less. It had become a tradition of his to speak to her. It always seemed that, to him at least, she understood him regardless.

"Things have been going fine with us, more or less. Starrk's been sleeping on the job and Lyn's beating him up for it, while Anderson and Enhance are trying to see who can rack up the most Dead Apostle kills before the year's up. Harbinger's been hunting some giant killer crab out in Japan, and Logan's been off doing his own little thing."

He paused, smiling a little bit as he continued. "Still, I bet you never would have saw this one coming: Chryssie and Trixie actually got together recently. Didn't take them for the types to like other women, but I'm happy for them either way. Speaking of love matters, Maka and Soul have been doing great with their kid, Spirit, just like Giro and Jeanne with Sieg. Noel's even been giving one of our newer recruits the eye recently."

He chuckled. "It's like everybody suddenly got hit with the love bug. Remember that kid I told you about about a decade or so ago? Shirou Emiya? He's been doing surprisingly well since the War was finished, even started up a family with the girl of his dreams. They have a kid on the way, if I'm not mistaken."

The humor left him, returning to his previously sober attitude. "I wish you could see it all for yourself though, instead of just waiting in here for me to find a way to help you."

The girl within the crystal was not dead; or rather, not in the sense that most understood death. Her body, even when she was 'alive', was nothing but a walking corpse of sorts. Her consciousness, her soul, had in fact stored within the previously mentioned black jewel, or rather what it had once been, a direct result of whatever process she had gone through in her own world to give her her unique powers. Granted, that was _before _it had undergone its tranformation into its current form, but the fact remained that so longed as it existed, there still stood a chance of bringing her back.

And even then, he was certain she was still here, at least in some form. The fact that there always seemed to be the faint sound of violin music playing in the background of this room with no discernible source and the fact the images the walls displayed were sometimes of events that had happened while was a still a member was enough proof for him that she was still 'alive' in some form.

The problem was that even after over three decades, he had come no closer to finding an answer to bringing her back.

And so, Edgar spent what seemed like the next few hours simply talking to the suspended girl, speaking on various topics like new recruits, interesting events and how things were. Eventually, it devolved into rambling and musings, but even those came to an end after a while. Finally, he sighed quietly and gave her the crystal one last look.

"Take care of yourself, okay Sayaka?"

He said it despite not knowing she wouldn't answer.

"I think she'll be quite fine."

Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't expecting a reply in general.

Edgar didn't bother to look behind him, keeping his eyes forward. "I wasn't expecting to see you here of all places."

The voice, an old man's yet still full of almost youthful exuberance, chuckled. "To be fair, it's been three days since anyone's seen you last on the outside. I got bored after the first one. Three days was pure torture."

"Bored? You?" Edgar asked, barely hiding his sarcasm behind wonderment. "I'm surprised I didn't receive a message from Lyn telling me to run for the hills."

This time, laughter. "Ah, Oswald, you always did know how to make an old fool laugh."

Only now did Edgar turn to face his visitor. He was greeted to the sight of a tall old man, built powerfully and standing straight despite the silver cane in his grip. His shaggy hair and thick beard were gray in color, though it seemed less out of age and more out of extreme stress of some sort, and his red eyes twinkled with a sort of mischief that usually meant something bad was about to happen to someone. He was clad in nearly all black with white and gold trimmings on his suit and cape, and he had an aura of power that seemed to scream at whoever was looking at him 'don't mess with him, no matter what'.

This man was known as Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, Wizard Marshal and wielder of the legendary Second Magic Kaleidoscope, the ability to control the passage to parallel worlds. He was also one of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, the most powerful vampires on the face of the planet and thus one of the strongest existences in the entire world.

Yet more often than not he had the mentality and maturity of a five-year-old, intentionally trolling most anyone whenever the mood struck him. And oh so often did it strike him.

"What are you doing here, Zelretch?" Edgar asked, not bothering to comment on the usage of his real name. He had long ago learned that Zelretch did what Zelretch does, and it just wasn't worth the effort to deal with something trivial like that.

"Just paying a visit to an old friend," the vampire replied, coming closer while also taking in the sight of the room around him. "I must say though, this place always manages to catch my attention whenever I pay a visit. Even in all my travels, I've rarely caught sight of a location such as this."

"Glad you like it," Edgar responded. "That still doesn't explain why you couldn't have just waited until I went out to come and see me."

Zelretch shrugged. "Like I said, I was bored and didn't feel like waiting."

Edgar sighed. 'Bored' and 'Zelretch' were two words that really shouldn't be together unless with a 'Not'. Because when a person who can tear wholes into parallel worlds gets bored and has a bad habit of screwing other people over for no real reason...things start getting weird.

"If you want entertainment, find it somewhere else," he told the wizard. "Don't you have a student you can mess with?"

"Two of them, actually," Zelretch answered with a smile. "But I've messed with them enough already for the week. Little Rin can't even look at cows the same anymore, and I'm pretty sure that Luvia girl will never want to touch a sheep after what happened with the wool..."

"I don't need details," Edgar interrupted him," but I don't feel like getting involved in one of your mad schemes. Ask one of my men if they're up for it."

The old man then held up a finger. "Ah ah ah, that's where you're wrong Oswald, because this time, I need _your _help specifically. Don't think of this as a scheme, but think of it as...a favor."

"The only time I do you favors is when I owe you something," Edgar countered. "You taught me that lesson personally, and I don't recall owing you anything as of recently."

Zelretch explosively sighed. "You're no fun, Ozzie," he whined while rolling his eyes, but then he started reaching into his pocket. "But then again, that's what makes you so reliable. And that's also why I'm giving you a reason to owe me a favor right now, so this benefits both of us right off the bat."

"And that would be?" Edgar slowly asked, watching Zelretch's hand like it was a cobra about to strike. For all he knew, it could be anything from a world-destroying explosive to a rubber chicken. You could never really tell with the Wizard Marshal.

"Hold on a moment," he grumbled as he rummaged about for a few seconds. "I know I put it here somewhere...maybe it was my other robe? No, it was definitely here...wait a...got it!" He pulled out his hand and thrust it towards Edgar dramatically. "THIS is what that would be!"

The young man simply stared at the object in question. "...A wand?"

The powerful wizard looked down at the object in question dumbfounded. "...Kaleidostick Ruby, how did you get in there?" Without a pause he stuffed it into his other pocket and went back to the original, rummaging about again. Once more, he pulled his hand back out. "Alright, this time I'm sure! THIS is what that would be!"

He opened his hand, revealing a small object in the center of his palm. It was a small diamond-shaped jewel, blue in color and seemed to have an eye-design of sorts. Edgar, however, wasn't very impressed: It was very pretty, yes, but aside from that it didn't look much more important than a small trinket to keep or perhaps sell.

Zelretch noticed his expression though and chuckled. "Don't see it for what it appears, but what it _is_." He made a dramatic flourish with his other hand towards it. "Use those 'super-senses' your friend Starrk taught you to use. You'll see."

Edgar rolled his eyes at the term, but complied. Closing his eyes, he reached out with his ability to sense spiritual power (which boiled essentially down to a person's life-force), and by extension, magic energy, and touched the jewel in Zelretch's hand.

His eyes snapped open as he came into contact with what seemed like a _lake _of pure power, snatching his hand back like it was on fire. He looked at the old wizard, who was looking back at him with an amused expression.

"What is that, and for that matter, where did you get something like this?"

He shrugged. "Eh, randomly found it in the Void between dimensions. I go there on occasion when I feel contemplative about the universe. No idea how _that _one ended up in that specific spot exactly, BUT..." he added while waving a finger, "it comes from the very place I need you to go for me."

"As for what it is, the people from that dimension call them 'Jewel Seeds'. Ring any bells?"

"Can't say it does," Edgar replied. While OSG had gone to many universes in its time, thanks to the usage of the very magic Zelretch commanded, they had touched but a grain of sand on the beaches of the multiverse. Countless dimensions still laid beyond them, much less the permutations of those dimensions. As such, to come across a relic from an unknown universe honestly didn't surprise him. Hell, he was willing to bet even _Zelretch_ hadn't visited even a thousandth of the potential universes in all his centuries of using the Second Magic. "But exactly why are you carrying around an artifact that has enough stored magical power to blow up the entire OSG compound even from where we are underground?"

Zelretch snorted. "Just this building? Oswald, I have artifacts stored in my socks that could blow up all of London if I wasn't careful. As for why I'm carrying it, like I said, it's part of my payment for you taking this job."

"'Job' now, is it?" Edgar asked. "As intrigued as I am that you would offer something like this as payment, I have to ask: Exactly what sort of use would I have of something this dangerous? And secondly, what's so goddamn important that you'd try and butter me up like this?"

Not that Edgar was complaining. Something like this could be unbelievably useful to have someday, but he still wanted to know what would be so important that Zelretch would offer something like this when he would usually just grab you and throw you into the world without so much as a 'By your leave'. No, there was some reason he was smoothing the deal like this, and he wanted to know why.

Zelretch in answer, sighed, losing his grin. That alone caught Edgar's attention. When someone like Zelretch stops smiling and it's not because he's annoyed, it means that something serious is about to be said.

"...Firstly, that Jewel Seed isn't for you," he began, pointing a finger. "It's for her."

Edgar turned his head, looking back at the sealed form of Sayaka, then back to the jewel, glinting with an almost taunting light. A billion questions immediately surfaced in his mind, along with a sneaking suspicion on exactly why Zelretch had decided to confront him here instead of outside.

"Explain," he said simply, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

"This jewel is what some of that world refer to as a 'Lost Logia', an artifact of great and mysterious power. This is only one of twenty-one different Jewel Seeds, as a matter of fact. It is also said that if one pours their wishes into one of these, it will come true, like a certain 'Holy Grail' you and I both remember."

Edgar shuddered briefly. "You're not selling me with that comparison."

"Alright, it was in bad tastes, but the fact remains. Even one of these things alone can do some pretty crazy things. I saw one turn a tree into a giant forest, for example, or give life to solid stone or even water. If you were to use this upon Sayaka's Grief Seed..."

"I could wake her up," Edgar finished, glancing back down at it. Suddenly, a light of hope seemed to sprout within his heart, the chance to atone for one of his mistakes too tempting to pass up. All of a sudden, the need to take on an extremely dangerous assignment for the old vampire didn't seem that bad in comparison.

"Well, that or turn her into some extremely powerful nightmare that could kill us both without batting an eye, but the odds of that happening in comparison are a billion to one," Zelretch replied. "Use it right now if you want to. I won't stop you, for who am I to deny you a chance to save a life?"

Edgar's hand was already moving towards it unthinkingly, but he caught himself at the last moment and pulled back, eyeing the Wizard Marshal warily. His previous moment of excitement went back to guarded. "You never answered the other part of my question though."

Zelretch sighed explosively. "Sheesh, nothing gets by you in all these years, huh? Well, to be frank, there's something...odd about this reality."

"Odd?" Edgar repeated, to which the vampire nodded. "How, specifically?"

"Odd as in 'I have no idea what's going on with it'." Noticing his companion's befuddled expression, Zelretch sighed and stopped what he knew was going to be asked. "Look, just because I can travel between worlds doesn't make me omnipotent. I don't know everything about a world, though I do know a damn good deal, but that's because I take the time to observe the 'original' world and learn what makes it tick before I move on to the alternate versions of it. How do you think I can figure out what people of this reality do? It's because I've observed their actions in my own 'home' world or in their original world."

Edgar nodded slowly. It was sometimes hard to forget that the Zelretch in front of him actually came from an entirely different version of this world. He had always wondered there were any alternate Zelretches, or was there only one, randomly popping into each version of this reality? "And something's wrong with this one?"

"_Extremely _wrong," Zelretch replied. "But not in the sense that 'hero of the original world went batshit-insane in this world and became an edgy and dark anti-hero with a big old harem like something out of a bad fanfic'. I get plenty of those, mostly involving some weird blonde ninja. No, this world was similar to the original world, but there's a certain...outsider stain about it."

"Outsider?"

Zelretch sighed. "Okay, think of it like this. What passes for most alternate realities usually involves some change in choices by its inhabitants, anywhere from choosing not to eat breakfast one morning to choosing to spare a messianic-like figure from public execution. These are changes that resulted from people that belonged to the specific world. However, occasionally you come across worlds that have been influenced by outsiders that were never originally from that dimension, 'dimensional travelers', if you will."

"Like you," Edgar surmised. Zelretch nodded.

"Me, you, OSG, the Doctor, Salem Azal, Rachel Alucard..."

"Who?" Edgar asked in confusion, the last two names unknown to him, but Zelretch waved him off.

"Nothing to worry your head about; you've met them in an alternate 'verse...another 'you', I mean. Pretty funny people when you get to know them." Zelretch replied, then coughed. "But I digress. This particular force is clearly foreign to the world, but unlike any of the mentioned, it seems to be engaged in long-term tampering. Most of the time, us travelers just stay in a place for a day or so, maybe a month or so tops, before moving on, or checking in every now and then. This force has been manipulating events and has stayed within the world for what appears to be nearly a whole decade. And I've got a gut feeling it's not for anything good."

"It usually never is. So you want me to root it out?" Edgar surmised, then shook his head. "That can't be the only reason you came to OSG, and to _me _specifically. Why can't you do it?"

"Because I recognize this taint. Every world has its own unique 'feel' to it, and all natives to it have this feel about them, even if they arrive in a new universe. After you spend enough time jumping universes and hanging around with those who come from alternate worlds, you develop a knack for sensing these 'feels'."

Edgar felt a strange pit develop in his stomach, a feeling he hadn't had in a long time, as he listened, not liking the implications of the hidden message. "...Are you saying whatever is tampering with this world..."

Zeltretch nodded. "The feel I get is very similar to your own. Who or whatever is doing something to that world came from your universe, or at least a version of it. Who better to deal with such an opponent than someone who's had personal experience with its very origins?"

Edgar was silent.

His world.

He hadn't thought about in years, not since the Fifth Holy Grail War a decade earlier when he summoned his Servant for a chance to fight for the miracle denied him so long ago. Not since the Reaper who had served the corrupt Grail offered him a chance to have everything he had once lost, had offered to bring _her _back no strings attached, if he would only allow things to take their course to destruction. He had refused, but the option had tempted him like nothing before ever had.

Ever since, it had returned to being a dream of old: To be remembered, but never pursued. Until now, obviously.

"...So, you want to send me to a world where some sort of outside influence, which you _think _is somehow related to my original world, is negatively affecting the events," he finally stated, looking at the vampire, "and you want me to put things back on track or at least help the people there so it doesn't kill everything in the process, putting my own life and sanity at stake to set things right? And in exchange you'll give me a jewel from this world that will bring Sayaka back to life?"

"That's basically the long and short of it," Zelretch agreed. "So, are you in?"

"...You planned this from the beginning, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you mean," he answered with a grin. "It was pure coincidence I found you in here and thus could make an offer you couldn't refuse."

"I never said anything about agreeing," Edgar retorted, but then sighed. "However...why not? A vacation killing evil could be good for me right about now." He gave Zelretch the eye before he could say anything though. "I want to see if that gem actually works though."

Zelretch smiled. "I figured you would." Lifting his hand, he placed the Jewel Seed into Edgar's own, its surface faintly glowing in the room's illumination. Edgar gave it a glance before making his way towards Sayaka's crystal, stopping only to look at the girl's peaceful face.

He took a breath. 'Here goes nothing.'

Without hesitating, he brought the blue gem up and touched it to the black one set in the crystal. 'Please,' he thought silently. 'Wake her up. Let me fix one of my many mistakes.'

For a moment, all was silent.

Then the blue jewel _exploded _with power, causing Edgar to snap his hand back and let go. Instead of falling though, the artifact floated mid-air in a blue glow, which gradually grew brighter and brighter as cerulean lightning sparked about it, leaving him unable to observe properly what was happening.

"Don't worry!" Zelretch yelled, "These things are designed to release more of their power the stronger the will and passion of a wish! We'll be fine!"

As the glow seemed to take on the radiance of a small sun, Edgar was seriously beginning to doubt that, covering his eyes to keep from going blind. Before he did though, he could have sworn that, for a moment, the two jewels seemed to be joining together...

Then came an entirely new sound, one that did not belong to a glowing gem shooting magic or sparking electricity.

It was the sound of crystal breaking.

With an ear-splitting crash the monument shattered apart, bathed completely in the blue light that turned pure white at it seemed to reach its climax. Even Zelretch was forced to look away at what looked like a mini-supernova flashed throughout the room. For what seemed like an eternity to both men, the light persisted before slowly fading into nothingness.

A pregnant pause of silence. Edgar slowly opened his eyes, looking at the spot where the crystal grave had been erected, now gone. Hesitantly, he lowered his gaze to the ground, hope rising in his chest as a gasp of surprise escaped him.

Before him, lying curled up on the floor like she was sleeping, Sayaka's form looked as alive and unharmed as it had been the day he had brought her back from her final mission. It was as if she hadn't aged a minute since, and it she appeared just as she had when she was within the crystal, save for one key difference.

That difference between extremely obvious as he leaned down next to her and cocked his head, ear towards her face. A very faint, warm breeze tickled it, in and out slowly but with increasing strength.

"I'll be damned..." he whispered as he stood up. "It actually worked-" He stopped when he noticed something glowing, right in the palm of her right hand. With extreme slowness and care, he pried her fingers open to gaze at the object.

It was the Jewel Seed...and yet not. Yes, the object definitely glowed with the brilliant light of the gem, but the form was that of Sayaka's blackened gem, still with its specific casing. Only now the dull grey was a brilliant silver, the black now the deep blue of the Jewel Seed. It was as if the two of them had permanently merged into one. Sayaka suddenly groaned softly, reflexively shutting her hand, depriving him of the sight.

"Wow..." he muttered, still unbelieving slightly. This one gem had succeeded in seconds what he couldn't do in decades. 'And Zelretch said there were twenty-one of these things...what the hell could they all do together?'

"Satisfied?"

Edgar broke out of his musings, turning towards the coyly smiling Zelretch, keeping his face neutral. "Yes, very." A moment's silence, then he allowed a smile of gratitude to spread across his face. "Thank you, Zelretch."

The old vampire's own face changed to that of genuine contentment, almost like a kindly grandfather. "No problems whatsoever. So, are you ready?"

Edgar sighed in defeat. "You held up your end of the deal, so it's only fair. You'll tell the others what's going on, right?"

"Of course," Zelretch replied. "I'll take care of everything."

"Then let's do this."

Zelretch grinned playfully as he made a weird pattern in the air with his finger. "Alright then! One-way non-stop travel to a needy dimension for two!"

Edgar blinked. "Wait, what do you mean tw-"

A bright flash of light followed by extreme vertigo cut off whatever he was about to say, and once more Edgar Silverstein found himself traveling through dimensions again...

* * *

Zelretch lowered his hand as Edgar dissappeared, his work now done. He then glanced towards where Sayaka had laid unconscious, the sight leaving him satisfied. He turned to leave, but then paused. For a moment, the vampire felt uncharacteristically weary, as if the years had suddenly decided to catch up with him. A frown creased his face as he turned back to stare at the spot where his friend had just stood.

Friend. That was a word Zelretch didn't use to describe people that often, given his age and how few beings who could rival him in that regard were the best conversationalists. However, the leader of OSG had earned that right after everything he had ever been through, and over the decades the Wizard Marshal had stopped seeing him as an entertaining source of thrills and more as a companion to share in the moments of the never-ending well called time.

Now he had thrown him into an adventure the likes of which even _he _himself didn't know if he was up to the challenge of facing. For the first time in a long time, Zelretch truly wanted to involve himself in directly aiding his friend in his struggle, but he was bound by the very rules he had placed and taken upon himself when he first mastered the Second Magic. For a being such as himself to interfere directly with the workings of a world as would be required would break one of the Kaleidoscope's secret taboos, known only those who mastered it, and there were punishments for doing so.

His predecessor had learned that the hard way.

All he could was give what support he could to the only one he felt had the best chance of success, and he had already done that. Now was simply the time to observe...and hope.

"Oswald Edgarson," he whispered to himself, using Edgar's full real name as a sign of respect. "I wish you the best of luck...and I hope you can forgive me for what I've done. You won't stand a chance otherwise."

With a final glance about the crystal room, noting how it seemed to have dimmed since the main crystal's destruction, the Wizard Marshal took his leave.

The room was left cold and lifeless, not a single soul remaining nor any sign that living beings had occupied it.

Not even where until the moment Edgar Silverstein had vanished, Sayaka Miki had lain still unconscious.

* * *

Dimensional travel by the Second Magic is not the most pleasant of experiences. First there's a tugging feeling in the gut, minor at first before getting increasingly harder and harder, then the traveler has the sudden sensation of vertigo, like they spent too much spinning around in place, only multiplied by ten. Then comes a feeling of displacement, like one's both here and yet not really here at the same time.

Then it seems like every part of the person's body suddenly screams in agony as they're actually sent to another dimension, due to the fact that the physical form tries to remain anchored in this one while simultaneously trying to establish a presence in an entirely alien one. (Un?)fortunately, travelers are only half-aware of this pain, mostly because their minds are preoccupied with the feelings of being on fire, stabbed with shards of glass, and torn apart all at the same time as it makes the transition between dimensions.

This all occurs within mere seconds, which is the only reason the traveler doesn't go insane in the process, but conversely squeezes all that pain into a seemingly eternal moment of torment. As such, when Edgar first dealt with the Second Magic he spent a large amount of time, energy and money developing a safer, albeit longer, way of dimensional travel.

Still, it really said something when the impact of his face on the ground was actually a bit of a blessing, as it let him realize that it was over. He took a moment to steady himself, breathing in and out slowly to avoid hurling his last meal out, and then finally bothered to look around his surroundings.

He was currently in the middle of some sort of park, nighttime from the looks of things and kneeling on the grass. All was quiet save for some crickets chirping and a solitary owl's hoot, several lamp lights casting their light about near a dirt path some distance from him.

'Well,' he thought to himself, 'it could have been worse. At least the old fool didn't drop me in the middle of some destroyed city-'

His train of thought was rudely interrupted when something suddenly fell right on top of him like it just popped into existence, causing him to get reacquainted with the ground. With a surprised yell that quickly turned to a growl, he shifted and rolled whatever it was off, snapping around and flexing his fingers to-

He blinked, his mind going blank. Right in front of him was Sayaka Miki, free, unconscious and in her casual clothes like nothing happened...except for the fact she was supposed to be back at the OSG headquarters.

_"One-way non-stop travel to a needy dimension for two!"_

"Zelretch, you suicidal, insane, overconfident son of a bit-" Edgar bit his tongue when he realized that Sayaka was starting to stir, quickly moving back to give her some space. He was well-aware of what women who woke up to some man being right in front of their vision and seeming on top of them would do, and he wanted to avoid any potential injuries if she moved too suddenly, for both of them. For a few seconds she slowly shifted, eyelids twitching before they finally opened a sliver.

"Mmmm...ahh...w-where am..." she muttered, her soft voice almost like an angel's chorus to Edgar's ears, though he remained silent. With the pained slowness of one who hasn't moved their body in a long time she sat up, eyes closed again and hand to the head like she had a headache. "God, my head..." she winced as she rubbed it, "feels like I got hit by a semi-truck..."

"Good to see you're awake," he finally said aloud, causing her to turn towards him, her blue eyes focusing on his green and brown ones. "I was getting worried." 'More than you know.'

"E-Edgar?" she muttered, like she wasn't certain if she was dreaming or not, before she blinked a few times and her eyes widened. "Oh my god, Edgar!" She quickly brought herself to attention as best as she could, flinching suddenly as she apparently moved too fast for her recovering body to handle.

"Take it easy," he told her calmly. "We're fine and you're safe here."

"We're fine? I'm safe?" she asked, her eyes attempting to take in her surroundings. "Where exactly is 'here'? Last thing I remember is-" she stopped talking, a powerful shudder overtaking her. Slowly, she focused back on Edgar, fear in her eyes.

"Am...Am I dead?" she asked. "Am I just imagining all of this right now? Am I-?"

"No, no and I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say 'no'," Edgar answered her quickly, not wanting to see her break down in front of him. Not that he could really judge, he was having a hard time his own happiness in check. "You're alive and still with the living."

"B-But I...I saw my Soul Gem break!" she protested, glancing down at herself, as if not believing she was actually here. She even started to search herself to prove her words. "I saw myself turn into a Witch-"

She stopped as she pulled out her Soul Gem, her eyes on its new design and how it lacked any trace of corruption. Fear and denial gave way to disbelief and hope(?) as she slowed down and looked over herself, even touching her own skin and pinching it to confirm that, yes, she wasn't dreaming.

Then she punched herself in the jaw.

"Sayaka!" Edgar snapped, moving forward to stop her from hurting herself anymore, but she waved him off, raising a hand to the rapidly forming bruise while she smiled painfully.

"I-I'm really alive..." she muttered, tears slowly forming in her eyes as the simple truth finally started to come to her. "This isn't...some dream...I'm really here."

"Yes you are, you little idiot," Edgar muttered, but inside he was still glad, and he allowed it to show in his voice. "You're back with us again...and I'm happy for it."

Sayaka was silent, looking for all the world like a lost puppy as she stared at him for a second or two. Then she lunged forward, arms wrapping around Edgar's waist and bringing him crashing to the ground as she buried her face into his suit. She held on to him for dear life, a few quiet sobs escaping her as she let out all of her emotions.

"I-I remember some things..." she whispered, muffled by the suit. "Swords and wheels...lights...Kerry...pain...crystal...you saying sorry over and over again...that song always playing over and over...were all those real?"

"...Yeah," he said softly, almost fatherly as he returned the embrace, one hand lightly rubbing her head. "All of it was real. We missed you, all of us did."

"Even Kerry?"

Thoughts of the Magus Killer Kiritsugu Emiya flowed through his mind, including the assassin's final words and resignation. "More than anyone."

Her grip tightened and her voice grew even quieter. "I...I really was dead, wasn't I?"

"...Uh huh." It was sometimes easy to forget that despite her current appearance of only 14 or so she was really about 18, and this moment wasn't doing him any favors in that regard, but he gave it to her straight. That was always his preferred method. "But I promised I would find a way to help you, even when everyone else thought otherwise and nothing seemed to work."

"But you never stopped, did you?" her voice seemed to gain some strength back, happiness and relief slowly creeping into it.

"Not once in nearly 35 years."

They were silent for a long moment before Sayaka pulled away, a small blush on her face from embarrassment and the emotion from before still apparent, but lessened. "Kerry," she began slowly, "he really is...gone, isn't he?"

"...Yeah, but he never forgot about you," he replied slowly, then added with a sad smile. "His son even ended up getting your sword."

She smiled her own sad smile. "Yeah, I remember that too." She then looked around, confusion settling in. "...Where are we though? I know it's night, but this doesn't remind me of HQ...unless you guys did a whole lot of redecorating while I was asleep."

Edgar's frown returned. To think he had almost forgotten about a certain Wizard Marshal in all the confusion. "Well, Sayaka, it turns out that I-"

He didn't get any further because that's when both of them felt a sudden shift in the air, almost as if something nearby had changed on a level that normal people didn't understand. However, whatever it was set both of their attuned magical senses on edge, appearing in their mind's eye almost like a giant ball of darkness in the sky. Fitting enough, as they both turned their attention to the direction it came from, near what appeared to be some sort of residential district, it was almost as if they were observing a giant sphere of magical energy expand to encapsulate several buildings.

More disconcerting though, they could sense nothing on the inside of the sphere in question, as if they were rebounding off a steel wall.

"Um, sir?" Sayaka asked, her voice sounding more fitting from a surprised cat. "What is that?"

He set his jaw. "Well, Sayaka," he answered her as a chill of anticipation to hurry up and get this mission done surged through him. "I'd say that's what we're looking at if we want to get home."

And when he did, he was gonna shove his foot so far up Zelretch's ass that the water on his knee would clench his thirst...and then he would give him over to Logan for some target practice. A dragon needed to make sure his fire and magic were accurate, after all.

* * *

**Well, how's that for a intro chapter? Yes, this fic does take place after the events of Fate: Stay Nightmare, but hear me out: While it does indeed take place after the events of it, that doesn't mean it's a true sequel. For now, let's say it's an AU to F/SN, but I'll be intentionally keeping details vague on that front, so don't hear for spoilers for that (much).**

**Also, as you might have guessed, this takes place during _A's_, so be expecting some Wolkenritter! I've got to say, they're easily my favorite part of the whole damn show, and I couldn't wait to get here in the original. Oh well, now we are, so whatever!**

**Review, fave, and follow people! Tell me if you think this is worth the rewrite effort or if you preferred the original!**

**This is X the Reaper, triumphantly signing off!**


	2. A Minor Variation

**Hello everybody, welcome to the second chapter of MSLOS Redux! Alright, first battle against the Wolkenritter! Let's see how this plays out.**

**Disclaimer: See first chapter.**

**Alright, let's go!**

* * *

_**Uminari City (December 2nd)**_

The mage known as Fate Testarossa had done many things in her short life. She had broken multiple laws on both Earth and under the Time-Space Administration Bureau, assaulted officers of said Bureau, stolen several extremely dangerous magical artifacts with the help of her familiar Arf that if misused could have destroyed entire planets, fought against a red-headed, nine-year old girl with an powerful magical Device and her ferret companion for possession of several of said artifacts, ultimately losing to her.

Then she had been abandoned by the mother who had never really been her 'mother' in the first place, joined forces with said nine-year old girl, her ferret companion who was really a young boy and several TSAB agents in stopping her mother from tearing open a hole in space-time in a mad scheme to bring her real daughter Alicia, whom she herself was but a 'failed' clone of. She had then lost her mother to the interdimensional sea, became friends with that red-headed girl (whose name was Nanoha Takamachi), and had been taken off to a fair trial for her crimes.

Her four years of life, despite appearing physically nine, were rather exciting, to say the least.

And now, nary six months after her trial and subsequent release under probation, here she was, not even a full day back on Earth, fighting a red-headed little girl with a powerful magical device, protecting something important to her. It was just like old times.

Well, aside from the fact she was now protecting some_one_ far more important than a couple of jewels and her opponent looked more like she wanted to see her with her face smashed into the ground rather than trying to understand her motives for doing so. But hey, the old times never happened exactly the same way again.

"Fate-chan...Yuuno-kun..."

The blond spared a slight glance behind her, just enough to see that Nanoha was fine, albeit completely out of the fight by the way her white Barrier Jacket was torn and her golden Device Raising Heart was shattered. Next to her, their mutual friend Yuuno Scrya was in his usual outfit, tending to her wounds as green light emitted from his hands.

"Sorry we're late, Nanoha," he told her with a grin. "Took us a little longer to get through that barrier than we thought."

"Tch," the redhead growled, drawing Fate's attention back to the matter. "Who are you two supposed to be? Her chums? Mages from the Adminstration Bureau playing the hero?"

The girl looked even younger than her, with red hair styled into two queues that trailed behind her head and down to her waist, which wasn't much of a feat considering she couldn't have been taller than four feet at the very most, which was being generous. Still, her attire, consisting of a blood-red barrier jacket with black outlines and much more armor-like in appearance than she had ever seen before, coupled with her brilliant blue eyes that seemed to burn with a deep inner fire made it clear that she was far more than what her appearance let known.

"Yes," Fate replied calmly. "And you're going to pay for hurting her."

"Oh yeah?"

Bardiche strained against the enemy's Device, a two-headed hammer that was as long as Fate's own weapon. With a jerk the redhead pulled her weapon back, assuming a guarded stance while her face morphed into a scowl.

"Let's see you try!"

Fate swung her weapon forward. "Bardiche."

**[Scythe Form]**

Bardiche's axe head flipped up opposite and away from the pole, forming a curved blade of yellow energy like that of a scythe. With that, she assumed a ready stance. "Yuuno, protect Nanoha. I'll deal with her."

She charged even as she heard the mage's affirmative. The hammer girl spat to the side and jumped back outside, using the shattered opening no doubt caused by Nanoha crashing into the office building in the first place.

As soon as she was outside though, she suddenly went flying upwards, courtesy of a kick to the butt that sent her bouncing off the outer walls of the office building. "Shit! What the-"

She righted herself and looked down, seeing a redheaded woman with wolf ears and a tail glaring up at her, cracking her fists. "'Sup?"

"A guardian beast now? What the hell gonna be next?" she asked dumbfounded.

Fate exited the building and smiled at the woman. "Good to see you, Arf."

Her familiar nodded at her before assuming a ready stance. "Watch out Fate!"

The hammer girl scowled again as she summoned four small metal spheres. "Graf Eisen!"

**[Schwalbenflug]**

Graf Eisen called out before it smashed into the orbs, hurtling them towards the two fighters. Both Arf and Fate immediately separated, dodging the shots as they tried to close the distance, only to be forced to break off as they came flying back at them like homing missiles. Arf threw up a barrier that intercepted the two that came at her, which exploded as they made contact but failed to hurt her.

Fate, on the other hand, managed to narrowly dodge hers again, swinging her scythe directly at the girl who was currently concentrating on bringing the balls back around.

**[Arc Saber]**

Her Device let loose its energy blade, which transformed into a spinning yellow crescent as it came flying up at the girl, forcing her to lose focus on her previous spell to intercept the oncoming attack. Instead of forming a shield as Fate had thought though, she simply smashed the lightning attack away with a swing of her mallet.

However, it did distract her long enough for Arf to close the distance, drawing her fist back for a punch. Mallet-girl flinched as she swung her weapon in front of herself. "Defend, Graf Eisen!"

**[****Panzerhindernis]**

A red shield sprouted into existence between them, but that didn't deter Arf as she drew her fist back, crackling with yellow power. "Barrier Break!"

Her fist made contact, and after a moment of struggle she tore through the barrier, surprising Mallet-girl before she just got angry again. "Damn you!" she roared, swinging her Device down in an effort to crush the familiar, who barely managed to block it with her own shield but was still knocked back.

That nearly cost her though, as Fate, having dealt with the remaining spheres with two hastily cast Photon Lancers, suddenly appeared behind her with Bardiche's reformed energy blade aimed for her back. She barely managed to turn around to block it, and it was her turn to be sent back slightly at the force behind the blow. Fate didn't let up the assault, the two of them exchanging blows as they flew haphazardly around the airspace, the hammer wielder desperately trying to get some distance to help prepare a counterattack with Fate always hounding her.

Finally, Mallet-girl had enough.

"Graf Eisen! Cartridge load!"

**[Explosion]**

Fate barely had time to register the device snap up and down before it changed shape, becoming pointed at one end like a spike, and then the girl rocketed forward far faster than she had been going before, smashing her weapon against Fate's. By chance, she avoided being hit by the spike and damaging Bardiche, only with their shafts colliding, but the momentum of the strike still sent her flying back chaotically, and by the time she righted herself she was greeted to the sight of Mallet-girl charging her with hammer in both hands like she was about to crush her skull in.

"You're done-!"

-Only to suddenly jerk back as orange-ish binds appeared on her arms and legs, spreading them out and completely immobilizing her despite her struggles to break free. "Who-?"

Arf just smiled as she held her hand out, a magical circle plain as day and the same color as the binds. "I think the little chibi needs a time out."

"Good job, Arf."

The red-clad girl glared bloody murder as she gave her binds a few more tugs. "Stop calling me chibi!"

"Then why don't you start by telling us who you are and why you attacked our friend," Fate replied calmly, pointing Bardiche at her. "If you start talking and come in quietly, we won't resort to more...drastic measures. Either way, you are officially under arrest for the unprovoked assault with magic upon a civilian of a non-Bureau world."

Mallet-girl just snorted and glared at them, the defiance in her eyes as clear as day. "I ain't telling you anything and over my dead body before I do."

"Have it your way then."

Fate paused when she heard a soft ringing sound, out of place in the night air. Her eyes widened as she realized it was getting louder, and she was already moving even as Arf and Bardiche shouted a dual warning.

**[Explosion]**

However, as swift as Fate was, the whip-like weapon that suddenly wrapped about her body was even faster. With a violent snap she was thrown aside like a piece of trash towards a building, only just barely catching a glimpse of someone in pink armor before smashing against it. She was certain she heard Arf call out her name, but it was abruptly cut off by a scream and an orange blur tumbling away as if struck.

'This is bad,' was the only thing Fate managed to think as she slowly got back to her feet, glass crunching underneath her as she did so. 'That girl has friends.'

* * *

Signum narrowed her eyes as she allowed Laevatein to return to Schwertform, her gaze fixated on where her opponent had crashed into. She spared a glance to her still-bound comrade Vita, who was staring at both her and the silver-haired man who had come with her with wide eyes.

"Signum!" she gasped. "Zafira! What are you two doing here?"

"You were taking far too long," the pinkette replied. "We were starting to become concerned."

"It appears you found the source of the mana signature you detected earlier," Zafira grunted, his dog ears twitching as he spoke. "Bit more troublesome than you thought, huh?"

"Oh shut up. I had it under control before those two got in the way," she replied with a growl, then looked away, obviously not comfortable with needing to be saved like that or being seen in such a vulnerable position. "I still could have handled it."

"No doubt you would have, Vita," Signum nodded. "Zafira, keep that one busy." The male nodded and raced after the one apparently called 'Arf', who had righted herself and was coming back with fists crackling with power. Signum in turn raised her blade and shattered the binds holding her comrade captive, catching and holding Graf Eisen patiently as the red warrior flexed her wrists.

"But think of our Mistress," she continued. "If you were hurt, she would certainly be upset."

Vita flinched at the mention of their Master before she nodded, holding out her hand. Signum handed Graf Eisen back, then paused as the little knight looked away for a moment in silence.

"Before I forget...here," she added, causing Vita to look at her in confusion before she suddenly dropped something on her head, which was quickly revealed to be a red hat with yellow crosses and white bunny heads on both sides. "I found your hat and repaired the damage. Just don't lose it again."

"Yeah...thanks, Signum," she said slowly, though a small smile had started to break out on her face.

Signum nodded, turning back towards the battle in time to watch the blond girl fly out of the building in a beam of yellow light and a large green sphere shoot out of where she assumed was the location of the mana source Vita had sensed, resolving as a ash-blonde boy in white and green that forced Zafira away from the familiar, his hands glowing green with his magic.

"Still, this battle is three-on-three now..." she mused, readying her blade. "And as we both know, a Belkan Knight..."

"Can't lose in a one-on-one!" Vita finished with a smirk as they rocketed towards their fellow, weapons at the ready for combat.

* * *

Edgar had to admit, there were few things that got his blood pumping more than flying. Ever since he had been but a boy, he had often seen birds fly through the endless blue yonder, seeming limitless in their freedom from the struggles of those who tread the earth, and had wondered, like so many had, what it was like to soar above others. The fact he had lived a good portion of his life with those who had the ability to do so should have answered that question, but they always said a mere description wouldn't, _couldn't_ do it justice. It was one of those things you had to experience for yourself to understand.

Basically, it was kind of like talking to someone about sex when you hadn't even gotten to first base. You could analyze it all you wanted, listen to a first-hand account, draw up your own conclusions and fantasies, but true understanding only came when you bucked up and did it personally.

Thus, when one of his comrades in OSG actually decided to try and teach him how to fly for real, he had been beyond excited. Sure, he had fallen off plenty of high places and underwent grueling physical and mental preparations, but the end result had been worth it. True, he had only been able to achieve a facsimile to true flight, gathering massive amounts of magical energy into his legs before releasing it in a burst that propelled him up and forward, but it was more than he ever had before and he reveled in every moment of it. Kilometers were now but a breeze as he could cross dozens, even hundreds of meters in a single bound if he so desired, and in this case the lights of the city quickly became obvious as greenery gave way to stone and metal as he played a giant game of leap frog on towards his goal.

"Sir, could you possibly slow down?!"

Of course, he had to remind himself that not everyone agreed with that assumption.

"What's wrong?" he asked, twisting his head to look at his passenger. "I thought you said you wanted to get there fast?"

Sayaka, still in her casual wear as she had yet to use her powers, had a death grip around his neck and waist as she clinged to him for dear life, her jacket partially whipping in the wind built up by their passage through the city towards the disturbance. She shot him a glare that really didn't have any power when she looked like she was about to throw up as well. "Y-Yeah! But not if it means I get si-Watch out!"

With a flex of his legs he released another burst of mana, changing their trajectory to the left to avoid the building right in front of them. Still, his eyes didn't leave her, his face still calm despite his inner turmoil at cracking a smile at her expression. "Oh, that? Don't mind me, I'll get us there in one piece."

"Assuming you don't give me a heart attack first..." Sayaka muttered. Edgar turned around before she could see the smile finally win out, not wanting to make her annoyed enough with him to hit him and cause them to crash into a building, or worse, cause her to lose her grip and fall. The last thing he wanted to do was explain how a teen-aged girl crushed her head in like a melon on the pavement and yet able to walk it off like it was a bruise.

That thought made him drop his smile. "Seriously though, you alright back there? I can stop and let you off to transform if you want to."

Sayaka was silent for a moment, probably caught off guard by his sudden shift in tone and demeanor, but he felt her shake her head.

"Nah, I'm good. I'll change when we get there. You just startled me is all," she answered him. "C'mon Edgar, I've dealt with worse than this. I'll be fine."

He found himself grinning again. _That _was definitely the Sayaka he remembered.

"Good to hear."

"...Yo boss..."

"Yeah?" he asked as he briefly stopped on a rooftop, using his senses to briefly reevaluate the location of the magical disturbance.

"...Why exactly did Zeltrech pick me for this mission?" Sayaka shifted uncomfortably from her position. "I mean, I just got out of a thirty-five year retirement and I think I'm pretty behind on a lot of things. Why would he want _me _out of everyone to go with you on a mission to another dimension?"

"...Honestly, I don't know," he answered her, stopping as he picked up the signature just a few hundred meters away, appearing as a black sphere in his mind's eye. "I don't understand half of what that old vampire does, and the other half is stuff I only pierce together through luck, determination and watching the fallout of his previous actions. All I know is that something's here and we have to deal with it."

"And giant spheres in the sky are the perfect starting ground, huh?"

"Eeyup. Take notes Miki-san, because there's a quiz later." He looked back at her. "You wanna use your Soul Gem? It's as good a time as any and I don't think you're gonna have time when we bust that barrier."

Sayaka disentangled herself from his back, stretching her limbs as she touched the roof. Not that she really needed to, but old habits died hard, even if the body doing it wasn't even really 'alive' anymore. She pulled the silver ring on her right hand off and let it transform, revealing her blue Soul Gem's true form. She stared at it for a long moment, especially at the silver frame, then gave him a worried look. "You sure it's safe?"

To be perfectly honest, Edgar had no clue. Of the two of them, Sayaka knew more about the intricacies of the Soul Gem than him, and even her knowledge was spotty aside from first-hand experience with it. It literally contained her soul and life, and if it became too saturated from corruption caused by either magic overuse or overtly negative emotions, it would break and transform into that black jewel form from before (a Grief Seed) and turn her into a monster. The simple fact of the matter was that neither of them had any idea what other effects the Jewel Seed she had absorbed had done to her. Yes, Zeltrech had apparently trusted it enough to be used and then have Sayaka come with him to this dimension, but it had to be said that what Zeltrech thought was a good idea and safe wasn't always synonymous with what most other people did.

Still, what other choice did they have? Sayaka was gonna have to use it and fight eventually, and it was better for it to happen where he could provide assistance if necessary.

"Not really," he finally admitted. "But I'll be there for you if anything goes wrong, count on that."

His statement seemed to provide her with some reassurance, as she looked back at her Gem and took a deep breath before nodding. "Alright then, here goes nothing."

With that, she held it out in front of her with both hands as it flashed a blue light, then pulled it back to her chest just as the light enveloped her body. Edgar watched as it flashed blindingly for a moment or two before fading away, revealing her new attire. His eyes widened as he got a better look at it.

Sayaka's original outfit had consisted of blue shoes, white knee-high stockings, a blue diagonal-cut skirt, dark blue sleeves with white gloves, and a white and blue shoulderless top, meant for ease of movement given her close-range fighting style and designed to the purpose of combat gear. The effect had been enforced with the addition of her white cape, which gave her a very hero-esque look. Her Soul Gem took on a C-shape on her belly button, similar in form to a crescent moon.

_Now _though, her basic design was still more or less the same, but much more...armored. Silver sabatons and greaves covered her feet and lower legs, leaving her upper legs thighs free and covered by a slightly longer skirt. Her lower body, particularly her belly area, was free of any sort of armor, though blue cloth still covered up her Gem, and her head was bare as well. Her upper chest and whole arms though were once again covered in the same previously mentioned burnished metal, though it thinned around the joints to allow proper movement and was nearly nonexistent, though still enough to provide some protection, around her shoulders and upper arms to allow her free range to swing her weapon in arcs.

Speaking of said weapon, it was different as well. Her original weapon had been a cutlass with a straight edge and gold basket guard to protect her hands, with a blue handle long enough to allow her to use both hands to wield it. This was essentially the same thing...if it was large enough to be used with literally two hands. It was less like a cutlass and more like a giant katana or nodachi with a cutlass guard.

Perhaps the thing that struck him most about the new outfit though was the cape. Unlike the original one, which had been a pristine white and appeared brand new, if somewhat plain, this one was in many ways its antithesis. It was frayed as it it had been damaged in combat, dark blue in color and had a massive plaid collar that extended around Sayaka's neck that was fastened with, of all things a pink bowtie.

Completing the picture, there seemed to be strange marks all over the armor that repeated themselves like a pattern, though they were too small for him to fully make out. All in all, she looked like some sort of knight from fairy tales, ready to risk her lives for the innocent and banish evil wherever it was. The thought actually brought a smile to his face, given what he knew about her deepest wish.

However, that smile slowly faded as he realized that something was oddly familiar about this armor, something that made him start in surprise as he understood why he recognized it.

It was basically a scaled-down, modified version of the armor that her Witch form had worn when it attacked him and his fellows after they came looking for that last time.

Sayaka took a moment to glance down at herself, her face running the gauntlet from apprehension, confusion, surprise, caution and finally to growing appreciation as she rotated to look at herself, pausing to touch her cape and new armor.

"...Well, can't say I don't like the new look..." she admitted, twirling in place for a moment before glancing at her sword, a grimace crossing her face. "But how I am I supposed to use _this _thing properly?"

"Try summoning one of your other swords," he suggested, forcing his surprise back down. She didn't seem to realize her where her armor's new form came from, and he didn't feel this was the right time to mention it, not when they were about to go into combat.

She complied, forming a new sword, identical to the blades she originally used before, and nodded. "Guess I'll be using these babies," she remarked with a grin. She then grabbed the big cutlass with her free hand and concentrated, causing it to disappear. "Maybe another time for that thing."

Edgar nodded, turning towards where he could sense the disturbance. While the space to the naked eye looked normal, his mind's eye definitely saw a black sphere floating but a few hundred meters away. He summoned forth his own armor, feeling his suit vanish as the familiar weight of metal settled around his form.

"You ready?" he asked her, putting his worries about Sayaka's new appearance on the backburner. If it became a problem, he'd deal with it later, but right now was not the time for doubts.

"I was born ready," she answered with a wicked grin, her eyes alight with the prospect of combat.

* * *

Vita growled angrily as Graf Eisen bounced off the blond boy's shield again. "You are dead the moment I break this barrier, kid!" she shouted as she jumped back and summoned more of her metal spheres, launching them directly at him. Each struck with enough force to pulverize concrete, and yet still that damned shield held.

"If you think you're gonna break my shields, you've got another thing coming!" Yuuno shot back, not dropping it even as she rushed forward and continued to smash away, sweat collecting across his brow as he attempted to keep it up while also trying to cast the necessary spell to disrupt this isolation field so they could escape. As much as he hated to admit, he, Fate and Arf just couldn't stand up to these three in one-on-one combat, especially if they wanted to get Nanoha out of here.

He glanced down at his left hand and the green orb floating there, gritting his teeth as he realized he wasn't having any success. This was far above the average barrier, and so far nothing he had tried had worked to break _out_ of it, which was a far cry to when they were breaking in. And even though he could cast the necessary spell to get them all out of here with Nanoha, it was useless as long as this thing was up.

"Damn it, just stop resisting and let me crush you already!" Vita shouted, her attacks coming in faster and harder as his shield stood like an iron wall, unbreakable before her. How was that possible? She was the Knight of the Iron Hammer, for crying out loud! Nothing was too strong for her to break, especially not some kid's magic barrier!

Yuuno bit back the urge to say something in turn, afraid that he'd just make her even angrier and more willing to try something crazy to get at him. _"Arf, how are things on your end?" _he telepathically asked the familiar as he continued to fend off the redhead's physical assaults and ignore her verbal ones.

* * *

_"Been better," _Arf replied as she bared her fangs against her opponent. _"This barrier's a hard nut to crack, especially with this guy breathing down my neck."_

Both she and her opponent had transformed into their respective animal forms, both wolves. She had the appearance of light-red canine with a dark red mane and paws, white underbelly with similar coloration at the tips of her ears and tail, and long, white narrow claws. He, while having a similar if more muscular build, was a dark blue-grey with a white mane, along with a similar white underbelly and tail/ear tips. His paws, however, were covered in metal gauntlets for extra protection and striking power. Arf had found the latter part out firsthand, as the warm feeling of blood seeping from her side proved.

For now, the two just circled each other warily midair, blue and red eyes locked as they sought out any sort of weakness to exploit, or failing that, waited for the other to make an error that could be capitalized on.

'I've gotta find a way past this guy,' she thought to herself, wracking her brain for a solution. 'But how?'

Suddenly, both of them paused and turned their heads confusedly. Something was wrong; a strange..._shift_ in the barrier...from the outside. Something that only they, with their enhanced senses, had managed to detect.

'Who-?' Arf wondered before her instincts screamed at her to turn back to the enemy wolf. She did so just in time to get a good look at his dental plan as he lunged for her throat, having recovered from his surprise first. Luckily, the adrenaline rush let her move back enough that all he got was a mouthful of mane, which was still enough to let him drag her onto a rooftop where they devolved into a ball of whirling fur, claws and teeth.

'If those are reinforcements, they better hurry the hell up...' she thought herself as she felt his metal claws dig into her legs and sides with a pained grimace, just as she grinned in pained satisfaction as her own dug and clawed into his sides and her teeth found their mark along one of his ears. Like hell she was gonna be the only one coming out of this fight with scars.

All the while though, even as she fought tooth and claw for victory, she hoped that Fate was having a better time at it than her.

* * *

**(While Yuuno vs. Vita and Arf vs. Zafira is occurring)**

Signum hummed quietly to herself as she traded blows back and forth in the sky with the blond one. While she herself was clearly the more experienced and skilled fighter, the blond's quicker movements and longer reach gave her enough of an advantage to match her, and she had to respect that. It wasn't often she had been able to fight someone who could make her give real effort, and she relished the opportunity each time, especially if they were using a technique she hadn't expected to see in this day and age...

"Interesting, to find a mage not of Belkan descent who specializes in close-quarters combat," she commented, deflecting another blow from her opponent before returning with her own. "I am the leader of the Wolkenritter, Signum, General of the Blazing Fire, and this is my sword, Laevateinn. Young girl, may I be so bold as to know thy own name?"

Despite having a weapon with a longer reach, Fate couldn't completely deflect or dodge Signum's strikes, her lack of skill in comparison to her opponent clearly obvious as she struggled to force Signum's latest blow away. Moving back to get some space, Fate held up Bardiche in axe form and decided to comply with her request.

"Time-Space Administration Bureau temporary mage, Fate Testrarossa and Device Bardiche. As I asked your comrade before, please cease what you and your fellows are doing and turn yourselves in. If there are any problems, we would prefer to solve them under less hostile circumstances."

Signum sighed tiredly. She truly wished things could have been so simple. Then again, if they were, they never would have even met on this night, or any night for that matter. "A shame that is not possible," she answered, then steeled her resolve and words. "But enough talk, have at thee!"

Seeing the knight suddenly close on her, Fate spun the shaft of her Device around her wrist, shortening the reach and aiming a slash for Signum's face. The knight simply spun to avoid it before bringing her own sword to bear right as she came out of it, using the added centripetal force to increase her striking power. The blow would have easily torn into Fate's barrier jacket to draw blood if Bardiche hadn't cast Defenser to block.

While the knight was still bearing down on her shield, Fate quickly charged up a single Photon Lancer on her left fist. "Fire!" she cried out as she punched directly at Signum's unprotected chest.

**[Panzergeist]**

A purple shield completely enveloped Signum's body, the lightning bullet colliding with it almost immediately after it finished forming. The resulting explosion gave Fate time to put some distance between them, as well as lash out with Bardiche. She then assumed a guarded stance, forming several more Photon Lancers to fire into the smoke cloud.

"Such amazing combat ability for one so young," Signum muttered to herself, still hidden in the smoke, as she traced the small cut in her jacket, Fate's blow not quite strong enough to actually hurt her but still enough to damage her clothing and definitely strike at the flesh beneath. It had been a long time since anyone had visibly marked her, and she felt her respect for Fate grow despite this only being their first meeting. "Perhaps if things had been different-"

She cut that line of thought off. What-ifs could be worried about later. She had an enemy to defeat.

The moment Fate could see Signum's form within the cloud she unleashed her bolts, which crossed the distance in less than a second. To her shock, the pink knight suddenly vanished in a flash before the bolts could strike, and before Fate could fully register her disappearance she appeared again, this time directly in front of her with sword raised.

Once again, Fate cast her shield spell, but this time it was incomplete by the time Signum's sword made contact, tearing through it like tissue paper before being intercepted by Bardiche. Unfortunately for the Intelligent Device, the blow was hard enough to dig into the axe-head and damage the clear yellow-like piece.

"Laevateinn!" the knight shouted as she spun about, sliding the sword off the ax and unleashing her final attack. "Cartridge load!"

**[Explosion]**

A single empty bullet casing was ejected by the sword before the entire blade was engulfed by flame.

"Shiden Issen!" Signum declared as the fiery blade smashed through, cutting off a large portion of Bardiche's blade and sending Fate crashing to the ground. She stared after her for a moment, feeling once more a slight stab of regret despite having found such a worthy opponent.

She turned her gaze towards where Vita was still fighting the blond boy, deciding to aid her so they could finish this-

"Hi there."

She snapped around with Laevateinn raised to strike, her blade clashing with her unknown assailant, who was wielding a sword of its own. For a moment their blades locked, then her enemy jumped back to a nearby building, landing almost gracefully upon the roof.

Her eyes quickly took in the appearance of this new threat, confusion settling across her face at the sight before her. This man, for she could see it was a man, was clad in a suit of heavy black and silver armor that completely covered his body save for his head. Two silver plates with a clover insignia marked his shoulders, but it was the design of the armor itself that surprised her. Her own clothing, while it also carried the basic design of knight armor, was more 'modern' for lack of a better term, streamlined and meant for movement. This man's armor had a far more archaic look, bulkier and meant for defense, and didn't at all look like what Mid-Childa barrier jackets were designed to be, even the more heavily armored ones.

That was just the first clue that whoever this man was wasn't affiliated with the Administration, and any remaining doubt was destroyed as she glanced at his weapon. It was fashioned as a broadsword, handle and pommel of the darkest black metal, the grip a slightly lighter dark brown and the guard a rusty red. The lower half of the blade was of a blackish-grey, giving the impression of a plain, if rather grand sword.

But it was the upper half that drew her attention and destroyed any semblance of 'normal': It was a blood-red crystal fashioned into the shape of the blade, somehow giving off its own internal light like a heartbeat that light the room in a bloody glow, as if it was somehow alive. Such a bizarre choice for a blade would seem illogical at first, but she could see no sign of damage from where her own blade had made contact.

Assuming it was a Device, it was without a doubt one of the strangest she had ever seen. No Device was designed with a crystal that was nearly as large as itself, and a closer inspection showed that there seemed to be no sign of any movable parts: It was literally an otherwise normal blade with a crystal head.

"Not bad," the man complimented, and Signum took note that he seemed genuine in his praise. "Most people usually hesitate a little bit longer when they hear a voice coming from nowhere. It's nice to see you're one of the ones fast enough to react in time." He ran a hand through his hair, which was white despite the fact he couldn't have been much older than she herself appeared. "You pack one hell of a punch too, if how you managed to block means anything."

"Who are you?" she asked the white-haired stranger, on guard for any action. Even if he had been standing there in nothing but his underwear, she could tell from his stance, relaxed yet ready to spring into action, that he was a warrior with experience, much more than the girl she had been fighting but a moment before.

If things went anymore south, she would have to retreat with Vita and Zafira, regardless if Shamal finished her task in time.

"My name is Edgar Silverstein, if you must know," he replied politely enough. "Now that I've said my name, why not share your own?"

"Knight Signum," she said slowly, watching him for any suspicious movement. "What is your purpose here? Are you from the Bureau?"

The stranger Edgar cocked his head at that, his gaze seemingly traveling from her to the crater where Fate had landed and was now struggling to get out of. "Well, I was just passing on through when I saw a young lady in need of assistance and decided to pitch in. I don't know any 'Bureau' as you call it, but I'm gonna assume that she was a part of it," he noted with an air that seemed to be halfway curious, halfway surprised. "I have to say though, it's pretty brutal what you did to her, and yet you didn't kill her, despite the fact you could have ended it permanently with that last attack."

"I did what I had to do," she replied frostily. There was no need to kill her, so she didn't. She had her honor and pride as a knight, and she refused to sully it like that against one whose only true crime was being ignorant. Still that left the question of who this man was: If he wasn't part of the Bureau, who was he?

"I see..." he answered her, then his gaze seemed to grow hard as he raised his blade. "Well, I suppose then I won't be fighting to kill you."

With a flick of his blade, he pointed it directly at her. "Phozon Lance!"

With that, a burst of crimson energy erupted from his sword in the form of a spear, heading straight for her. Signum immediately threw her hand in front of herself and had Laevateinn cast its shield spell, completing it just in time for the attack to connect. To her shock, she actually felt herself being blasted back from the force behind it even as the shield began to crack under the strain. With a grimace she held on and concentrated, watching as the attack petered out without breaking her defense.

She looked back at the roof where Edgar had stood but a moment before, only to see him coming at her again with raised blade. With narrowed eyes she met his charge with her own, their weapons clashing in a flash of energy. They separated and swung at nearly the same time, their blades clashing yet again with sparks. Signum knocked Edgar back with a kick to his chest and brought Laevateinn up for another blow, only to meet his own blade yet again as he suddenly began falling, causing her to miss her effort at a follow-up.

'He's falling?' she wondered to herself in confusion, then blinked as he suddenly came flying back towards her like a rocket in an explosion of power from his legs, smashing sword against hers yet again. 'No...he's not flying...he's propelling himself through the air with mana bursts!'

An interesting technique, but not one she had often encountered in her centuries of combat or at least from what she could remember...and especially not from any recollection of TSAB-related encounters. Needless to say, her interest was peaked further.

The black-armored warrior suddenly moved upwards in another burst of red mana, catching her off guard as the force exploded over and he gained the high ground before swinging his sword in her direction again, releasing a burst of crimson energy in an arc.

"Shiden Issen!" she cried again, using another cartridge to meet the strike. Fire and energy clashed before she sliced through the attack, racing upwards to meet Edgar once again. She unleashed a flurry of strikes which Edgar struggled to parry, but his movements seemed slower, almost inexperienced...much like anyone who hadn't had much experience fighting in midair before. Her next blow left him wide open as his sword was caught at an awkward guarding position and knocked to his side, and her follow-up cut into his armor and sent him flying towards the ground.

However, Edgar suddenly went flying to the side in another mana explosion, falling onto another roof building and rolling for a second or two before coming to a stop and getting to his feet, seeming none the worse for wear. She didn't let up, racing down to meet him with sword raised. They locked blades once again, and Signum found to her satisfaction that his movements were far more fluid and strong, obviously back in his element.

Their swords danced as they struck and parried, each dedicated to the process of defeating the other. Signum felt her blood pump harder which each swing and she found herself slowly growing more and more into the battle. This wasn't like the battle with Fate: this was a true clash of wills and ability, where one mistake would mean the difference between victory and defeat. This was the sort of fight she loved more than anything.

"Something funny?" Edgar asked her as they continued to clash, a bemused expression on his face. "You seem to be smiling pretty strongly about something."

Signum blinked, not realizing she had been allowing her emotions to bleed on through. "None of your concern," she answered, parrying another of his strikes. "Simply reminiscing."

Two worthy opponents, one young with so much potential, another with experience and skill, in one night. If it weren't for her mission and what she had to do, Signum would have considered this one of her best nights yet.

* * *

**And that's it for this chapter! I actually nearly made this battle one whole chapter before I realized that it would be over 11K if I did, so I compromised and cut it roughly in half. I hope you'll be looking forward to the conclusion of it next time!**

**And if anyone is worried that this story is following a little too close to canon so far...well, it kind of has to until I can introduce the elements that change the game plan around. Don't worry, they'll be coming soon enough, so just hold on to your Starlight Breakers until then.**

**Anyways, review, fave and follow people! Tell me what you guys thought.**


	3. First Meetings

**Hello everybody, welcome to the third chapter of MSLOS Redux! Alright, first battle against the Wolkenritter, part 2, and the aftermath thereof! Let's see how this plays out.**

**Disclaimer: See first chapter.**

**Alright, let's go!**

* * *

Vita was having one of her worst nights yet. All she had done was try and get a couple of extra pages for the damned Book of Darkness, and what had happen? She had fought with a little girl, got her favorite hat damaged, been kicked in the ass, caught by a pair of idiots, had to be rescued by her leader, been unable to crush the blond kid in front of her to relieve her stress, and now someone was throwing swords at her right when she had been about to succeed in just that.

Needless to say, she was pretty damn pissed.

She growled in barely contained anger as she gripped the blade that had pierced her barrier jacket and stabbed her arm, wrenching it out and tossing it aside. "Alright, who has the balls?!" she shouted, her eyes landing on Yuuno, who looked just as dumbfounded as she was at his sudden save with his hands raised in preparation for a blow, before scanning the roofs and air around them. It couldn't have just come from-

**[E****ingehend****]**

The warning from Graf Eisen came just in time to see two more approaching swords. "Shield!"

**[Panzerschild]**

The red shield winked into existence and blocked the attack, sending them spinning away. Her eyes followed their trajectory back to a building not far away, where the weirdest looking mage she had ever seen was currently standing. Seriously, who wore a cape with such a high collar?

Right now though, she didn't care about that. All she cared about was beating this mage up as brutally as possible.

**[Schwalbenflug]**

She fired the metal spheres at Yuuno, forcing him to bring up his shield to block the explosion, then made a beeline directly for the rooftop, narrowing her eyes as she watched five more swords being hurled her way. "Enough of this shit! Graf Eisen, cartridge load!"

**[Explosion! Gigantform!]**

With that, her hammer transformed, gaining a more octagonal shape as it got larger.

_Much _larger.

As in, the size of the roof her enemy was standing on.

Overkill perhaps, but Vita was tired of playing around. She wanted to see something get crushed, and if her new enemy was too slow to get out of the way, well too bad. This wasn't even the full size anyways.

She smirked as she saw her enemy's eyes widen in shock as she smashed aside the swords like toothpicks, then brought her hammer up for the crushing blow. "Hate to do this," she called out, "but I don't have the time to waste on you!"

She brought it down, only to blink when she realized that it stopped cold several feet above the roof, and it wasn't budging. 'What the-'

She looked behind her, eyes widening in both surprise and anger. The blond boy was gone.

'That little bastard...' she thought venomously, as she pushed down even harder, imagining a green barrier right underneath her weapon. "I'll show you!"

* * *

"Uh, thanks for the save."

Yuuno glanced behind him at his mysterious savior, his brow sweating from the exertion of making sure that Vita's hammer didn't crush them both into paste, and managed to shrug his shoulders.

"Y-Yuuno Scrya. H-Hey, just repaying the favor, Ms...?"

"Sayaka. Sayaka Miki."

"Well, Ms. Miki, I'd like to talk more," Yuuno continued in a cheery tone that was somewhat at odds with the sweat dripping down his face and his occasional grunts, "but with this hammer coming down on us, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to cut this a little short before we both end up as smears..."

He was cut off as the pressure suddenly increased, and he felt his knees start to buckle. 'Crud!' he thought desperately, already running the chances of being able to pull off what he did before and teleport both himself and this Sayaka person away while also maintaining this shield before they were crushed. The results were less than positive.

_"Arf, Fate, can either of you run a distraction for me?" _he telepathically asked. _"I'm pinned down right now."_

_"I'm a little busy at the moment," _Arf, sounding like she was in pain, replied. _"I'm not gonna make it."_

_"I'll...try," _Fate slowly said, definitely in pain. _"But Bardiche is too damaged to do much of anything right now...give me a few seconds."_

Yuuno gritted his teeth. _"I don't think I have that long..."_

"Hey."

He looked back, noticing that Sayaka was now staring up at the barrier and the hammer, her face set in a line of concentration. "If that hammer let up, would you be able to get us away with that teleporting thing you did to get in front of me?"

"...Yeah," he answered her. "But how are you gonna attack her from in here?"

She smiled in response to that. "Just get ready."

Yuuno was about to say something, but he was interrupted by a sudden yell of pain, followed by the hammer above them letting up on the pressure. Blinking in surprise but not letting the opportunity pass, Yuuno quickly dropped the shield and cast the transporter spell, teleporting them both off the roof into midair.

"AAAHHH!"

And then he found himself grabbing the girl before she could plummet to her death below. "What's wrong with you?" he asked her in confusion.

"What?!" she shouted at him like he was insane. "You think I can fly like you?!"

He blinked. Honestly, considering how confident she had sounded, that was exactly what he had thought. "Uh, yes?"

"Just get me to a rooftop or something," she growled, right before her eyes widen in shock. "Watch out!"

Yuuno threw up his free arm to form a barrier the moment he heard her speak, and just barely avoided getting hit by the transformed spiked hammer of Vita, who currently had two broken swords sticking out of both her left arm and leg and glaring bloody murder. Yuuno stared at them in confusion, wondering where they had come from, before he remembered the two blades that had been knocked aside by her shields earlier.

'How did she-'

"YOU'RE SO DEAD!" she roared, lifting her hammer up again, and Yuuno braced for impact.

Before either of them could continue to fight though, a bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the sealed-off battlefield.

* * *

Nanoha gasped as she felt like her entire body was being drained of all its energy. The feeling of pure agony wracked her senses and nearly made it impossible for her to even stand up straight, but she pressed on. In her shaking hands she held the damaged Raising Heart, covered in cracks and its jewel core missing a chunk in the center, slowly gathering a massive ball of pink mana that was the basis of her Starlight Breaker spell.

Against her better judgement and Yuuno's insistence, she had decided to step out of protective circle to charge up her most powerful bombardment spell with her damaged Device. Her intent was to try and blast a hole through the interference field that was keeping them from contacting the outside world and possibly even more help. Normally she wouldn't have tried to do so the way she was now, but she could tell her friends were having trouble, and even with the help of those two new persons who were apparently(?) on their side, she realized that at this rate there was a very good chance they were going to lose without more help and they needed it _now._

**[Count Four...]**

The sight of a pale arm wrapped in a green sleeve sticking out of her chest was not doing her mentality any favors though. In the palm of the outstretched hand of said arm was a small spec of pink light that was releasing pink sparkles that were being absorbed by said hand, and with each sparkle she could feel her energy drain and the pain increase even more.

But she wasn't gonna let that stop her.

With rapidly fading strength she raised her staff, ready to launch her strongest attack with the nearly broken Intelligent Device.

* * *

Shamal sighed to herself, a dark brown book covered with golden crosses and lines floating right next to her as it eagerly absorbed the mana she was getting from the girl through the portal. She despised doing this, but it was the only way.

She just wished she could make this go quicker.

* * *

Edgar's eyes snapped down to the rapidly growing light down below, certain that was where the scream came from. Faintly, he could also make out a young girl charging the spell and he didn't have to be any closer to guess she was in pain while doing it.

His eyes snapped back up just in time to counter another of Signum's blows. He took notice of the fact that her smile from before was gone, replaced with a stone mask that seemed to hint at some inner displeasure.

A change that coincided with the scream.

"I take a friend of yours has something to do with that?" he asked her as he pushed her back.

She didn't say anything, but her silence was as clear an answer to him as if she had shouted it.

"Well, I guess I'm just gonna have to stop it," he stated simply as he turned his back to her.

**[****Schlangeform]**

Suddenly, he felt his entire body become wrapped by a metal chain whip, snapping his arms to his sides to prevent using his sword and his legs together to keep him from moving. He heard Signum's quiet sigh from behind him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that, not until Shamal is finished," her tone was laced with a strange mix of regret and resignation, as if she would have preferred not to do this.

He glanced back at her. "Good thing I wasn't asking for permission."

Ignoring the look of confusion that crossed her face, he concentrated upon his crystal blade, Belderiver, and reached within for a power he hadn't used in over a decade, not since the climax of the Fifth Holy Grail War. He found it, grasped it, and unleashed it.

"Behold!" was all he said before his body grew as cold as ice, then a sense of unbridled freedom surged through him despite his restraints as shadows crept into his peripheral vision. He noted with almost dark amusement as Signum's face turn from confusion to growing horror as she no doubt watched the shadows across the rest of his body and face like wildfire.

"Like the new look?" he asked, voice distorted as if he was talking through a long tunnel, or perhaps with another him speaking at the same time.

"W-What are you?" she whispered, and he noticed how the whip about his form seemed to tighten even further.

To him now though, it was like someone had wrapped him in a blanket. And he reinforced the fragility of the analogy as he literally forced his limbs free from the metal whip with a powerful jerk of his muscles and jumped through the space before she could react fast enough to close it. He then swung his transformed arm directly at her, feeling his shadow claws raking along her armor and forcing her back.

He was certain he felt them also cut through flesh and draw blood, but he didn't stop to find out.

With that, he jumped off the roof and unleashed a surge of mana through his legs, which exploded behind him with enough force to damage the building as he rocketed towards the girl down below.

A glance around himself showed that the red-clad hammer girl was still struggling with Sayaka, who was hurling swords willy-nilly one-handed and using her telekinesis to keep them on her as much as possible while the green kid kept putting up shields with his own free limb. He was also certain he saw two people with wolf ears and tails currently fighting one another, staying out of his way for now.

That meant the only one he had to worry about was Signum, but unless she could teleport there was no way she could catch him at this speed-

The sudden feeling of something smashing into his back cut off that line of thought, along with the explosion of purple mana that followed. Edgar just barely managed to twist his head around to see the pinkette wielding some sort of bow before he collided with the ground. He didn't let that stop him from moving though, and he forced himself up through the pain to sprint across the ground. Another arrow impacted and exploded right where he had vacated, but he didn't slow down to look back, even as the force sent him forward uncontrollably for maybe a dozen meters or so before he got back control.

He crossed two hundred meters within seconds, stopping directly in front of the white-clad redhead who looked at him with fearful eyes, which quickly changed to determined ones as she brought her staff upwards with newfound strength, crackling with pink mana. All the while, the orb of light in her chest grew smaller as the hand seeming absorbed it.

**[Count Zero]**

He did the only thing he could think of. He swung his left arm directly at the hand, praying that if he could stop it, he could stop whatever was happening to the girl.

Three things happened at once.

The girl fired her charged mana ball, which transformed into a pink laser that blasted upwards in a magnificent display of raw power, smashing against the barrier in the sky and shattering it like glass.

The hand snapped back through the girl's chest, leaving a green-looking portal that rapidly closed behind it. The pink orb stopped being drained, reduced to but a small sliver of what was no doubt once a powerful ball of light.

Edgar's left arm went into the hole even as it began to shut, and he was certain he felt his hand collide with something solid on the other side. He was then aware of a distinctive feeling of _draining_, as if whatever it was on the other side was absorbing his power into itself. This wasn't a typical feeling of draining as in his power was being absorbed though. It was as if his hand was literally being sucked into whatever it was on the other side.

Sufficient to say, it was agony.

Then the portal snapped shut, and Edgar pulled back what had now become a _stump _of an arm at the elbow as the girl fell to her knees, her staff falling to the ground next to her as she weakly raised her hand to her chest as if feeling for the hole.

He himself was suddenly aware of distinct feeling of vertigo as his body began to return to normal, even his armor vanishing to reveal his usual clothes, along with an intense weakness in the knees as he swayed back and forth and a screaming amount of pain from his now whole normal left arm as if it had been broken every possible way. He was also aware of someone rushing towards him, and he turned enough to see that blond girl from before coming towards them, hand still gripping that polearm that now looked like it was in better condition than from what he had seen of it before.

And right now, her face looked something between both concern (likely for the girl near him) and guarded wariness, and he noticed that the axe-head was pointed not so subtly in his direction.

'Oh crap, she's some sort of officer, isn't she?' he managed to think as the ground rushed up to meet his face. 'I hope Sayaka can explain things so we don't go to jail for this misunderstanding...'

Then he thought no more.

* * *

Zafira was suddenly aware of an intense feeling of pain that suddenly lanced through his chest, as if someone had just driven a stake through his heart (and yes, he was familiar with the situation), causing him to double over in pain as he clutched at the area. Across from him, he was vaguely aware that his opponent had paused in mid-strike, probably wondering what the hell just happened to make him do that. 'What's going on?' he wondered to himself. 'What did that man do?'

_"Zafira, help Vita now! The barrier's gone and we need to retreat!"_

Signum's commanding voice cut through the haze of pain like a razor, forcing him to ignore the agony and look over to where his fellow Wolkenritter was. With widening eyes, he realized that the redhead was falling through the air towards the ground, seemingly incapacitated. With a growl, he forced himself to straighten up and swing his fist directly at his opponent, who to her credit recovered from her surprise fast enough to counter it with a shield. However, the force behind it, coupled with the fact she hadn't been able to completely raise it in time, allowed him to knock her back.

With that, he flew directly for Vita, ignoring or blocking the swords flying straight at him from the other mysterious person and grabbing Vita by the arm, careful to try and avoid grabbing an injury. He heard a sudden cry of alarm and looked up to see Signum had joined the battle, her sword cloaked in flames no doubt a result from her last cartridge and swinging it at the two mages to keep them off of him.

_"I got her. Let's go!" _he contacted her. She didn't answer, but she did break off combat and rushed to join him as they flew away. Thankfully, none of the enemy decided to pursue them, no doubt going for the girl, and they pushed on for a minute or two in silence, Zafria occasionally casting glances at Signum.

"Are you alright, General?" he finally asked her, noticing that she was still clutching her chest where her armor had been breached. His eyes widened as he then realized there was blood around the area, and it was still wet.

"I'm fine, Zafira," she replied, her face not betraying any pain she might have been feeling. "We need to find Shamal."

_"I'm nearby," _said Knight's voice, suddenly echoing in both of their heads. _"Keep going just a little further and...now! Head to the alleyway on your left!"_

They obeyed the command, ducking down into the streets and rushing towards the area in question on foot. They were greeted by Shamal's worried face, her green clothing standing out among the filth of the alley in question. Zafira noted the groceries in the bags right next to her in the snow.

"Please tell me none of that touched anything in here."

She gave him an unamused look. "Make jokes later, now get Vita over here!"

The Guardian Beast complied, knocking aside a trash can to make room for their comrade to lay on. The redhead was currently clutching her chest in pain, bleeding from multiple areas on her arms and legs as well as a nasty cut across the face and on her shoulder. Her breathing was fast but still consistent, and her eyes were shut with her teeth bared.

"What happened?" Shamal asked, already summoning her Device, Klarwind, and casting her signature healing spell. The young Knight was bathed in a green glow, and her face slowly changed to be more peaceful as the injures began to be sealed up. A similar glow surrounded Zafira, and he allowed a sigh to escape him as he felt the claw marks along his sides, arms and head heal over and stop being so painful.

"The girl Vita was chasing had friends," he grunted. "Members of the Bureau. We fought them, and then two more mages showed up when we were dealing with them. Vita got double-teamed and ended up like this."

"Those last two weren't from the Bureau though," Signum added, getting both of their attentions and causing Shamal to gasp as she caught sight of the injury on her chest. Three jagged, claw-like marks rang down from her neck area to her upper belly, and while not deep, they were definitely long and bleeding despite the cold night air. In addition, there was an angry red mark almost like that of a curved blade along her upper belly in a diagonal. "They were outsiders. The one I fought didn't seem to even know what the TSAB even was. He was also strong, far stronger than a normal Bureau mage."

"He did that?" Zafira asked, his eyes narrowing. While the last looked like it came from that yellow-haired girl she was fighting, those other marks looked more like those of a wild animal, not a blade.

She nodded. "He has magic like nothing I can recall seeing before, even in all our centuries. And his skill with the blade was impressive enough."

Shamal cast another healing spell, and a similar green light surrounded the pinkette, quickly restoring the curved mark, though sealing the claw wounds at a much slower pace. The green knight's brow furrowed in confusion. 'Why isn't the spell working faster?' she wondered to herself. 'They can't be that deep, can they?'

"Focus on Vita and Zafira, not me," Signum ordered Shamal, breaking her out of her thoughts. "I can hide my injuries from our Mistress with clothes while they heal on their own. Vita can't, and I don't see how Zafira will be able to wear headgear for extended periods of time before she becomes curious as to why."

Shamal reluctantly nodded, then flinched as a lance of pain went through her chest, causing her to raise a hand there. Both of her comrades took notice.

"You too?" they both asked at the same time, then looked at each other. Shamal nodded, then looked down at Vita, noting that now her injuries were gone but she was still clutching her chest.

"Yes, and no doubt Vita did as well, and the sudden shock, coupled with her injuries, must have left her like this."

"But how and why did it happen?" Zafira growled. "Did that man do something when he attacked the girl?"

Shamal was silent for a moment, unwilling to say what had happened when she had tried to drain the redhead's Linker Core, but then realized she had to. "Well..." she began reluctantly, catching her fellows' attention, "before I could shut the portal that allowed me to drain the girl's Linker Core...an arm came through the closing gate."

"What?"

"I barely got out of the way in time and it was cut off when the portal closed, but...it struck the Book."

Signum looked Shamal dead in the eyes, her own struggling to hide a growing fear. "Did something happen to the Book?"

"It...absorbed the arm," Shamal replied quietly. "Literally unraveled it and sucked it inside like it was pure mana."

"Impossible," Zafira remarked, shaking his head. "The Book can't absorb physical matter like that."

However, Shamal hadn't seen a normal arm. It had been like a living shadow, molded into the shape of a dark arm with deadly claws. Not unlike the ones that had probably given Signum her injuries.

'What in the world are we dealing with now?'

"Where's the Book now?" Signum asked.

Shamal simply reached into her coat and pulled out the object in question. Without a word she opened the tome and showed her comrades the inside. Both of them started in shock.

"Forty pages?" Zafira asked in shock. "Vita only said twenty from the girl."

"If the difference came from that arm alone, I believe it is a good indicator of our new foe's power," Signum remarked. "We have to be careful from here on out. Now that the Bureau is involved, things are just gonna get harder for us to collect the pages, especially if these two new opponents join them. But we will not fail our mistress."

The others nodded, their expressions grim but resolute. Signum glanced back down at the book. "Does it look in any way damaged?"

"Not that I can see," Shamal replied. "Maybe the pain was simply a reaction from absorbing an entirely new type of magic? You did say it was unlike any you had ever seen before."

Potentially true, Signum had to admit. She could actually feel the pain in her chest from whatever had happened to them fading, though the wounds she received in battle still ached.

"Perhaps," she finally said. "There's no point in worrying about it now though. We need to get home before Hayate begins to worry."

They nodded and set about to their tasks. Shamal grabbed her groceries after finally ending the healing spell. Signum looked down at her armor and concentrated, replacing it with with her street clothes while Zafira slowly stretched before returning to his wolf form, minus his gauntlets so that he looked the part of a pet.

"I'll carry Vita," he said simply, and the others agreed as they laid the now calm Knight on his back and arranged her so she wouldn't fall off by mistake. Finally, Signum took the book from Shamal, giving it one final glance before shutting it and placing it in her coat pocket.

Her thoughts went back over the events of tonight. Despite having both herself and her comrades injured, she found herself...strangely satisfied with it, all things considered. Perhaps it had something to do with her battles with those two mages?

'Fate Testarossa...Edgar Silverstein...'

A part of her hoped that she would never encountered them again...and yet another part couldn't wait for the next time their weapons clashed.

* * *

_**TSAB L-Class Investigative Ship, **_**Arthra**_** (In orbit around TSAB maintenance dock to undergo refit and repairs)**_

Sayaka, back in her normal clothes, shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she glanced over at the person across from her, trying to avoid the urge rub her Soul Gem's ring form nervously. Even though she was just sitting cross-legged in a surprisingly nice room (there was an indoor waterfall for crying out loud! It was like one of those fancy inn rooms that cost an arm and a leg to rent for a night) that lacked any sort of bars or items of extremely dangerous origins, with a cup of tea in hand and without even being in restraints, she still couldn't shake the feelings of worry that had plagued her ever since she had been brought aboard this spaceship along with those other mages and Edgar, who was still unconscious apparently.

'Apparently' because she hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since they were separated and she ended up in this room, having nearly been forced to give up her Soul Gem beforehand before they had reluctantly allowed her to keep it after she told them in no uncertain terms it was going nowhere. She had then been told to sit down, with two people on the other side of the door and a woman sitting across from her, who offered her the tea and asking if she was comfortable before moving on to asking her questions as to who she and Edgar were, where they had come from, what was their purpose for being in the city and reason for being at the scene of the battle at the time, that sort of thing. She had answered all of them as best as she could and from what she could remember Edgar telling her to say about these things from so long ago when she first became a member.

_"I've found that sometimes we have to bend the truth a little bit when comes to things like this. We can't just say that we came from an entirely separate dimension. For example, if they ask you where you came from, answer honestly by saying 'From Japan'. Don't specify a city because there's no guarantee it exists in this reality, but a region is good enough. Our abilities are another thing: If they use magic but not one we're familiar with, just try to pass off your abilities as magic that's not that common, or your own original spin on the concept. However, it's always wise to be completely truthful about some things: Names if you feel that they're not the type of people to use that information against us, at least not unless we somehow give them reason to, as well as about our purposes. We help others, and there's no reason to lie about that. But our mission, if we have a specific one at the time, must be kept secret until we can be sure we can actually trust whoever we're speaking to."_

In her eyes, people in spaceships that weren't from Earth yet still clearly human certainly qualified as not to blindly trust. Especially when they weren't even near Earth anymore but in some sort of space station who-knows how many light-years away without any chance of escape. Though she had to admit, if it weren't for the worry going through her mind at the moment, she would have probably been geeking out. An actual spaceship like out of those sci-fi movies she used to watch back in her original world? The sight alone would have been enough to make her brain blow out in awe in any other circumstance.

Back to the matter at hand though, she had said their names, where they were from (North America, as that was where their base was located), their purpose for being in the city (vacation to her homeland of Japan for sightseeing, which was a lie but one that could hold up to scrutiny: She genuinely was curious about what was different about this version of Japan and she knew it was Japan because she saw several signs with Japanese writing on them on their way through the city.) and their reason for getting involved with the battle (helping people in need, though she didn't add about the fact it might have been a clue for their mission). When it came to how they knew that there was a battle going on, she said that both of them had enough experience with magic to sense large disturbances (true). As to how they got inside, she told them Edgar had a knack for breaking barriers (also true).

From there, it had seemingly dissolved into casual questioning about her personal life, which she answered as best as she could without giving too much away (she changed around city names for example. There was always a Tokyo in every alternate Japan, and they were always massive enough to use as excuses for hometowns). Finally, the woman questioning her had stopped and folded her hands, seemingly in thought about everything she had been told.

"...Well, that's about it." Sayaka finished lamely, trying to ignore the way her mouth seemed to be way too dry, even after taking another swing of the now cooler tea. This was why she never liked being questioned; she got way too nervous. Even if these people weren't exactly being cruel, it still didn't change her opinion on the subject, especially given who was questioning her.

Her 'interrogator', for lack of a better term, was a tall adult woman with long mint green hair tied into a ponytail that reached down to her waist and also framed her face in bangs, as well as showing a weird looking mark in the center of her forehead, though Sayaka couldn't tell if it was a tattoo or a birthmark. She had introduced herself as 'Lindy Harlaown' and was wearing a white and dark-blue uniform that seemed to scream professional and important, but even if she hadn't been wearing that Sayaka could have told from the way she seemed to exude command and prestige that she was very likely a senior officer aboard this spaceship, or perhaps even the captain herself. That alone was enough to leave her on edge, as she was attempting to sell her story directly to the person who had most likely had the authority to authorize her being thrown out an airlock without a fuss.

However, the officer seemingly recognized this, as she suddenly broke out a small grin, her dark blue eyes giving her an 'are-you-serious' look as she unfolded her hands and stood up. "Well Ms. Miki, you seem to be telling the truth, and we have three reliable eyewitnesses that can vouch for your statement of helping them when they needed it, so that definitely gets you brownie points," she said in a cheery tone. "We can't exactly throw you in the brig after something like that, now can we? We'd be setting a bad example for future would-be rescuers if we arrested you for helping us."

Sayaka blinked. That wasn't exactly the response she was expecting. "Um, I suppose not...so we're not under arrest?"

"Well, I didn't say that..." Lindy admitted, her face suddenly gaining a frown, though it seemed to be at something else rather than Sayaka. "There's a whole bunch of questions I still have over the nature of both your and your comrade's magic, not to mention that damned liaison from the Bureau breathing down my neck would probably have a heart attack if I just upped and let you both go...despite the fact I don't need a babysitter on _my_ ship..."

"Uhhh..."

"...But I like to think of myself as a good judge of character," she continued, her foul mood passing. "And I can say that while you seem to be holding back some things even now, I feel inclined to trust and believe you wouldn't try to harm anyone aboard this ship."

"Of course I wouldn't, and neither would Edgar," Sayaka replied, feeling like she had to say something for her leader. Lindy took notice of this and smiled.

"I don't doubt that, but I would like to meet him face-to-face first," she answered in turn, then held out her hand. "Would you like to come with me for a grand tour of the ship?"

Sayaka blinked. For a moment, her inner fangirl screamed out 'YES!', especially since she was seemingly out of trouble. Still...

"Um, what about that bit about-"

"For now, let's just say you're under probation until otherwise proven," Lindy replied with a wave of her hand. "That should keep you out of any cells and it gives me the clearance to allow you to walk about on the ship and station with an escort."

She nodded. "Okay...could we stop by where Edgar is while we're at it?"

"Most certainly," Lindy answered. "There's someone I need to check on in the medical ward anyways..."

A knock on the door caused both of them to turn in that direction. "Enter," Lily called, and a brown, short-haired young woman dressed in a white and blue uniform that was less fancy than the one she herself was wearing walked inside and saluted.

"Ma'am, I came to inform you that Nanoha's tests have come back, and Mr. 'Edgar Silverstein' has awaken as well. Should I inform Fate, Arf, Yuuno and Chrono to head to the medical ward?"

"Thank you Amy, and yes you may," Lindy replied, then looked over at Sayaka. "Unless you believe Mr. Silverstein would have objections to visitors?"

"...Nah," Sayaka replied. "He's the kind of guy who could stand most any audience."

Lindy nodded and waved Amy out. However, the cadet paused and looked back with a doubtful expression. "Should I also inform Enforcer Valentine about the tests-"

"If you must," Lindy replied, though her tone seemed to get colder as she said that. "But feel free to label the message as 'not important' if you so desire."

Amy nodded and left the room. Sayaka gave Lindy a confused look. "Umm, is something wrong-"

"Nothing to be concerned with," Lindy replied, though a frown still crossed her face. "Let's just say some higher-ups from where we're from were...less than pleased about the results of my last mission to Earth and seem to be under the impression that I need someone to watch over my shoulders." She then shook her head and gave Sayaka a smile. "But enough about that; shall we be going?"

Sayaka nodded. She wasn't sure exactly what all that was about, but Lindy seemed like a nice enough person now that the threat of being thrown in jail was averted, for now at least. All she could now was just hope for the best.

* * *

'This is strangely familiar for some reason, but I can't quite get why...'

Edgar slowly looked about in confusion, his eyes taking in the blank white room he was currently in along with the machines he was currently hooked to by various wires that were checking his vital signs constantly. He was also aware of the fact he had somehow been changed out of his armor and into a green-white hospital gown while he was unconscious, as well as a host of bandages around his left arm from the elbow down.

If it weren't for the fact he was aware of the feeling something restraining him to the bed in question and that his weapon was nowhere in sight, he would have swore he was just a patient at some hospital. He could only hope that the fact he hadn't woken up in a jail cell was due to the fact that Sayaka had managed to explain the situation (or as much as she could, that is).

"Well, at least this is an improvement over the usual circumstances of collapsing in unknown territory," he said to no one in particular, only the beeps and hisses of machinery breaking the silence. "I'm usually waking up to a beating or something terrifying in front of my face."

He glanced over at the single door that lead into the room, curious as to when someone was gonna walk inside. He couldn't hear anything from the outside, though for all he knew the room was soundproofed to prevent anyone inside from hearing when people were talking outside of it. If so, it would certainly mean he was somewhere different from the standard hospital, but that would just be adding more proof to what he already knew. He also looked around for a clock but could find no trace of one, meaning he was in the dark as to how much time had passed.

'I wonder how Sayaka's doing,' he wondered to himself quietly. She was no doubt nearby, of that he was certain. Probably waiting for him to wake up so that they could verify whatever she had told them.

'And that little girl...'

He hoped she was doing all right. No doubt that arm had done something to her, but he was sure that she would recover. He'd seen kids take worse than hands through their chest before. She was probably being treated right now just like him...minus any sort of restraints of course.

He just hoped that no one blamed him on that, especially when he had stuck his hand in her chest to grab at whatever had attacked her. That probably wouldn't endear him to anyone if they found out.

Before he could take his internal questioning any further, the sudden sound of the door to his room opening caused him to turn his head in that direction, catching sight of several different people entering his room single file save for the first three who were side by side. Edgar sized each of them up respectively.

The first one he recognized was the pigtailed redhead from before, now looking remarkably better than their previous meeting had indicated. She was wearing a white jacket over an orange shirt, along with blue shorts, white stockings and brown shoes, though he noticed that she seemed to have some difficulty walking, relying on the two children next to her to help stay fully upright. Still, that didn't stop her from having a small smile on her face as she entered and looked at him, though he wondered how much of it was just an effort to hide her nervousness that was visible in her blue eyes.

The one on her right was the long-haired blond he saw fighting that Signum person from earlier, now dressed in a black shirt with white shorts, black socks and red shoes. She had pigtails as well, though of much longer length, and her red eyes stared at him with that continued wariness from before, though softened somewhat.

The one on her left was the ash-blond boy who he ordered Sayaka to help against that red-wearing knight. He was wearing a pale green sweatshirt with a hoodie, brown shorts and shoes. His green eyes looked at him with the sort of expression that brought to mind one about to make a grand discovery, though again it was tempered by a combination of both wariness and nervousness.

Swiftly behind them were four others, two of which Edgar recognized. The first was Sayaka, who was back in her casual wear and giving him a worried look. He quickly gave her a nod of his head and a smile to show that he was fine, and she visibly relaxed, though still nervous and stressed. The second, though he only saw her in passing, was the red-haired wolf-woman who was fighting that other wolf-man, currently clad in a rather revealing outfit of a pink top and dark pink bra combo that only covered her breasts, twin pink bands on her upper arms, dark pink short shorts and a pink skirt that was wrapped around her waist, red belt-like garters, black gloves and black shoes. She noticed his look and seemed to give him a wink in response, quickly showing him that that she seemed to have a pretty easygoing personality...or it could be that she just thought he wasn't much of a threat in his current state, which wasn't really wrong.

It was the last two who entered the room who interested him though, and not just because he had no idea who they were. The first was the younger of the two, a boy perhaps Sayaka's age in terms of appearance. He had mid-length dark blue, almost black hair, and was wearing a black uniform of sorts that completely covered his body save his hands. It was the boy's eyes that interested him most though: They were hard and serious, the eyes of one who had the ability of a leader and experience under his belt. When the boy looked at him, it wasn't with awe, but wariness and calculation, as if he was already devising a plan for fighting him if it came down to it, though curiosity was also visible in some amount. Edgar immediately realized this was one he didn't want to make an enemy out of.

The other one, the green-haired woman, put even him to shame. She was the tallest person in the room, which made sense as she seemed to be the only adult, and was clad in a white and blue uniform of far fancier appearance than the boy's. He blinked when he noticed the mark on her forehead, but decided to let it go, having seen far weirder in his time. Either way, she exuded a sense of command and prestige, and it didn't take a genius to realize that this lady was the one in charge.

Which meant that their fates were in her hands.

As if she could read his thoughts, she suddenly smiled and raised her hands in a peaceful gesture. "Please, please, don't be frightened, Mr. Silverstein. We just heard you had awaken and came to see you. You were very much out of it when we brought you here. I take it you had a good rest?"

He gave them all another look and then nodded. "Yes, I did," he replied, gesturing towards his bandaged arm. "Well, I suppose I should be glad that you were all kind enough to place me in this medical ward to treat my injuries, which I am, but I do have a bit of a problem when my benefactors know my name I and I don't know theirs."

The green-haired woman nodded. "Of course. I am Admiral Lindy Harlaown of the TSAB investigative airship _Arthra_, of which you are currently a resident of." She then gestured towards the others in the room. "And this is Nanoha Takamachi, Fate Testarossa, Yuuno Scrya, Arf, and my son, Chrono Harlaown."

The named persons all either waved, said various forms of greetings, or both, with the exception of the boy Chrono, who just nodded respectfully. Edgar nodded back at them all in return, then looked over at the redhead, Nanoha.

"You're looking rather well, Ms. Takamachi," he stated simply, startling her. "I take it a few hours of rest was all you needed to get back into shape?"

Nanoha blinked in surprise, then nodded. "Um, yes...thank you, Mr. Silverstein, for helping my friends when they needed it...but please, you can just call me Nanoha."

"The pleasure is mine, Nanoha," he answered with a grin, which put her more at ease, then looked over at Sayaka. "Something wrong, Sayaka? You look a little out of it."

"Idiot," she replied, ignoring the confused looks sent her way by the others in the room. "I sweat off my ass telling these people what I can, hoping against hope they don't throw us both down in a jail cell or out an airlock for being called liars, worried that whole time about you waking up, and all you can say when you do is 'You look a little out of it'?"

"Well you do."

She groaned, though it sounded more out of relief than anything. "Good to see you're back, sir."

"Good to be back, Sayaka."

"Any more questions?" Lindy asked, cutting off their banter, though she seemed somewhat amused by it regardless.

"Yeah, am I under arrest for anything?" he asked her plainly, then gestured down at his body. "I noticed that I can't exactly move from this bed."

"Simply a precaution," she replied. "We weren't exactly certain if we could trust you, even in your wounded state, when Fate, Yuuno and Arf brought you and Nanoha on-board with your companion," she gestured towards Sayaka. "However, her testimony on your behalf seems to indicate you don't mean any harm and you did try to help Fate and the others when they were under attack, so I'm inclined to trust you both."

"I'm sensing a 'but' here now."

"But I would prefer to hear it from your mouth first, just to see if your stories match up."

He sighed, but complied, telling them essentially the very same things that Sayaka had said, minus any questions about his personal life. He looked at them after he finished. "That about right?"

Lindy was silent for a moment, and then shrugged. "Nearly word-for-word what your partner said...which means you're both either extremely talented liars who've had a lot of time to practice together...or you're telling the truth."

"I prefer to think it's the second one myself, but the first isn't too bad either," Edgar remarked, earning a small snigger from ash-blond (Yuuno) and the wolf-girl (Arf), while the dark-haired one (Chrono) just rolled his eyes. "But since we're on the subject of truthfulness, mind telling me what exactly this whole TSAB thing you guys are all apparently a part of is, and who exactly were those people we were fighting off?"

Lindy breathed in and sighed. "Well everyone, let's pull up a chair. Those two questions, especially the last one, might take a little bit of time to explain, if no one minds."

No one complained, though Chrono seemed to give Lindy an exasperated look before shaking his head. Probably just wanted to get all of this over with, Edgar figured.

Lindy held out her hand and several video screens appeared in front of her. "Well, to start off..."

* * *

**And that's that for this chapter. And no, I don't get off on watching Vita get the crap kicked out of her or being humiliated, it's just strangely appropriate for it to happen to her. It shouldn't become a recurring theme...hopefully.**

**Vita: Asshole.**

**Well, Edgar (Oswald) and Sayaka have finally joined up with our favorite magical girl and her friends (though there's probably some paperwork that needs to be filled out before that becomes official). What will happen to them next, and how exactly does the Book of Darkness relate to the threat Zelretch had them come here for? And what is the significance of the Book absorbing some of Oswald's power?**

**All these questions will be answered in time, but until then, r****eview, fave and follow people! Tell me what you guys thought.**

**Important Note: I may occasionally use Japanese honorifics when I feel it's appropriate, but since most of the cast here isn't native to Japan (and even Sayaka grew out of using them due to her days as an OSG member), don't expect them to be used often, even among the Japanese-related people. I'm sorry, but I don't want to offend anyone with their misuse.**


	4. An Alliance in Bloom

**Hello everybody, welcome to the fourth chapter of MSLOS Redux!**

**...Welp, broke my promise, there's some Vita humiliation right off the bat.**

**Vita: Bastard!**

**That doesn't mean it's becoming a thing, alright?! Anyways, let's get on with it!**

**Disclaimer: See first chapter.**

**Alright, let's go!**

* * *

_**Uminari City**_

It was close to eleven at night when the Wolkenritter finally arrived back at their master's house, having intentionally taken the long way around to stall for Vita to awaken naturally, as they didn't want to explain her why she was wearing her armor and looked like she had just been rudely awaken. She had finally gotten up near the last two or three miles from home and, after a briefing of what went down, changed into her own street clothes, grumbling darkly to herself about some crazy girl with swords. The other three wisely chose not to try and question her about it, simply telling her to put a lid on it before their mistress heard her. She complied reluctantly, though they could still make out the occasional promised death threat whispered through her teeth.

With a sigh, Signum knocked and opened the door. "We're back," she called out as they entered.

"Hey, Signum, everyone. I was getting worried about ya. What happened?" the master of the house and them asked as she wheeled herself out to meet them. She was a young girl, maybe only slightly older than Vita appeared, with brown hair and blue eyes that seemed to shine with joy. For some reason, to the Wolkenritter's eyes, the room seemed to brighten as she got closer to them, and all of them, even Vita, felt their spirits raise at the sight of her, even crippled as she was due to her wheelchair.

"Sorry, Hayate-chan, but we ran into a little problem," Shamal said before she presented the groceries she had bought earlier. "I know it's a little late, but here are the things you told me to buy."

Hayate shook her head. "No, it's fine, it's fine. Thanks for getting 'em. It's a good thing you arrived when you did though, because dinner's about ready and I was afraid I'd have to eat it all without ya."

"Thank God we made it in time, huh?" Vita said with a grin, her dark mood utterly fading at the mention of food.

Signum shook her head at the younger knight's eagerness, though she would be lying if she said she wasn't looking forward to it either. "Sorry for making you wait then," she stated with a smile before moving deeper into the house. "I'll prepare the bath then."

"Thanks Signum," Hayate said with a smile as Shamal helped push her into the kitchen.

Vita took a moment to stretch her arms. "I guess I'll just go watch some TV while we wait," she said nonchalantly as she moved towards the living room.

Zafira, still in his wolf form, merely shook his head at the scene, trying his best not to smile. The candid behavior of his fellow knights was so at odds with how they used to behave serving a master, and he had to admit he loved every moment of it.

"By the way, after dinner, who's turn is it to try out the new outfits I found?" Hayate's voice singsonged from the kitchen.

"I believe it was Vita," came Signum's answer from within the bathroom.

"Traitor!"

...even if she was certainly one of the more eccentric ones they had ever had.

The guardian beast could only wish these peaceful days could last forever.

* * *

_**The **_**Arthra**_** Medical Bay**_

"Alright, so the long and short of it is that TSAB is an interdimensional, magical security force formed by an alliance of several different worlds, populated by humans I might add, who have banned together to safeguard the various dimensions from harm and provide relief when required," Edgar stated as Lindy finished her explanation. "This organization also investigates incidents of magical nature on various worlds, especially when they involve Lost Logia, dangerous magical items from collapsed civilizations that have the potential to destroy said worlds if misused. The agents of said organization are more often enough practitioners of magic, which is used to quell unrest and deal with disasters on various worlds."

Lindy nodded her head, satisfied with his summary of it so far.

"Every person in this room," he gestured with his free hand, glad that Lindy had removed the restraints during her original explanation, "with the exception of Ms. Takamachi is a member or somehow directly affiliated with the TSAB, and all of you were involved in a Lost Logia incident but six months earlier over a couple of such objects called Jewel Seeds. Ms. Takamachi was an instrumental part of ensuring the case was successfully closed, as was everyone else in this room, but several of the Seeds were lost to the interdimensional sea."

'And ended up in Zelretch's hands to give one to me,' he thought to himself, but didn't let that pause show as he continued, gesturing towards the current images on the video screens with his unbound arm.

"And now, another Lost Logia has apparently surfaced on Earth called the Book of Darkness and the three persons we saw, along with a fourth who was probably the one responsible for draining Nanoha's Linker Core, which is essentially the organ that allows a mage to cast magic, are its guardians. They call themselves the Wolkenritter, sentient magical programs created by the Book to protect it and its current master, which it chooses a new one every time the current is killed. They hunt down powerful opponents to collect their Linker Cores to fill the Book, which has 666 pages. Anyone who has their Linker Core drained gives the book, and by extension, the master, full access to their magical spells and capabilities."

He glanced back up at the screens, his attention on two images in particular. "If the pages are filled completely, apparently the world on which the Book arrives gets completely destroyed and it disappears to start the process all over again...and the Bureau has been personally touched by these events, as the events of the year 0054 of your calendar can attest."

The images he was focusing on were that of a TSAB ship in the process of exploding in a burst of flame and magical energy. He noticed how both Lindy and Chrono occasionally looked at it with pained, though well-masked expressions, and it was more than just acknowledging a tragedy. It was the look he often saw whenever a person remembered someone important to them...and how they died.

A look he knew well, but he didn't pry. It wasn't his place, not in front of others.

"And now, in the year 0065, with the Book's reappearance, you guys have to find it and defeat the Wolkenritter before it does the same thing to Earth," he finished at last, looking over at the assembled group with a new eye. "And no doubt, you all, the very same ones who put an end to the Jewel Seed Incident, will be the ones to handle the case."

Lindy nodded. "That's the basic situation in a nutshell. Any questions?"

Edgar was silent for the longest moment, thinking about what this meant. He and Sayaka were sent here by Zelretch, just as a world-destroying threat decided to rear its head. He didn't dare pass it off as a coincidence: This 'Book of Darkness' was somehow connected to the enemy that the Wizard Marshal had sent them here to deal with, or would at least serve as the first real step for them to reach it. They couldn't let this opportunity pass them up.

More importantly than that though, innocent lives were at sake, and he refused to let anymore die while he had a chance to do something about it. It was one of the very principles he had established OSG upon after all. Not to mention, this thing no doubt had access to his powers thanks to absorbing his magic, and he knew what sort of chaos could happen if that sort of power was misused. He couldn't allow it.

"Where do I sign up to join the fight?" he asked plainly at last, ignoring the varying expressions of surprise on everyone's faces (with the exception of Sayaka's resigned shake of the head). "Sounds like the kind of thing I would enjoy doing, and I want to take another crack at that pink one, Signum."

Lindy was the first to recover, and a small smirk crossed her face. "...Let me see what I can do about that."

* * *

_**TSAB Maintenance Dock**_

"I don't trust them."

Chrono's words were straight and to the point. It was one of her son's best traits, Lindy had to admit, but it could occasionally result in some rather awkward conversations, like the one they were having right now.

The two of them were sitting in a small room by themselves, a window to the outside showing the _Arthra _currently undergoing its refit and repairs. They, along with Fate, had left the others after the medical ward visit to discuss future living quarters on Earth for all of them, as the _Arthra _wouldn't be ready for several more days, if not a week. After that, Fate had left to apparently get the paperwork necessary for the official upgrading of Bardiche alongside Nanoha's Raising Heart, leaving the two of them by themselves to discuss other matters.

Specifically, that of their two new passengers and her growing decision to let them join the Book of Darkness investigation.

"And why is that, Chrono?" Lindy asked her son, genuinely curious to hear his reasoning. "They did help Fate and the others save Nanoha and risked their lives to fight the Wolkenritter after all. What's more, they accepted our demands to come with us and have answered our questions with a surprising amount of patience and willingness before finally offering their services to help us find the Book of Darkness. So what is there to not trust?"

"I'm not denying any of that," Chrono replied, his face a stone, but his eyes conflicted. "I'm grateful to both Mr. Silverstein and Ms. Miki for helping us, no doubt about that, and we could use the extra hands for something like this. It's just that...I don't feel like they're telling us everything."

"You think they're lying."

"I'm thinking their story is very suspect," Chrono clarified. "We have on record stating that Earth is a planet filled with people with very little to no magical talent, with very rare exceptions like Nanoha and Admiral Graham. I find it hard to swallow that two such exceptions would appear on the very night the Wolkenritter appear, with such developed magic the likes of which we've never seen or recorded before."

Lindy nodded, pleased with her son's deductions. "And what do you suggest is the answer?"

"Either Bureau investigations to Earth need to step up their game at finding traces of magic," Chrono answered with just the slightest smile, "or they're not telling us something."

Lindy gave her son another nod along with her own smile. Jokes aside, he had a point. She had her own doubts about both of the two mages, especially Silverstein. Their abilities were unknown aside from what they had gleaned from the battle against the Wolkenritter, and their stories were suspect as well. Lindy had no doubt they had embellished some of the details of their story, specifically about where they had come from and their personal histories. Their was something more about both of them, of that much she was certain, and it was something neither of them wanted to reveal.

However, she had long considered herself a good judge of character, and her gut feeling had told her that both of them could be trusted, at least with the proper monitoring. And again, they had shown nothing but goodwill and cooperation so far, which further supported her feelings on the subject.

"Perhaps so, but as you have stated, they've only cooperated with us since we've met them. I believe that necessitates some measure of trust."

"Trust is a two-way street."

"And both sides must be willing to give it," Lindy remarked. "It's not like we told them every secret the TSAB has locked away after all. If they choose to come clean in the future, then they will. Unless it's something that could have dire consequences for all of us, that doesn't make it worth the effort of forcing it out right now."

Chrono looked away for a moment, then sighed. "Fine...I'll work with them if need be. I'll make my own opinions of them along the way though."

"What do you think of them now?"

"Two extremely powerful unknowns who have a knack for getting involved in very big, dangerous things," he replied as he got up and started to leave.

"Sounds a lot like Nanoha and Fate, and look how they ended up," Lindy answered. "Maybe we'll get just as lucky again."

Chrono stopped in front of the door and looked back, just a hint of a smile on his face. "Yeah, I hope so, mom. I really do."

With that, the young Enforcer left, leaving her alone. Lindy sighed to herself. Sometimes, as proud as she was of how mature her son was for his age, she just wished he could be a little less serious. As if on cue, she felt something contact her via telepathy.

_"Yes?"_

_"Admiral Lindy," _came Amy's voice over the connection, _"I've been ordered to inform you that Admiral Graham and Enforcer Valentine want to see you in the former's room. It's urgent."_

Ah yes. She had been wondering when this meeting was going to happen. _"Thank you, Amy. I'm on my way."_

* * *

"So, uh...this sort of thing standard for you guys? Ancient threats coming out of nowhere to blow up planets, I mean?"

Yuuno looked over at Sayaka as they made their way through the halls of one of the maintenance docks, accompanied by Nanoha. After they had left the medical ward and Mr. Silverstein behind, as he stated he'd get up in time, the blunette had asked to come with them, as she had no clue how to navigate this place on her own. They had agreed and were currently making their way to a lab, Arf having split off at some point to get a drink.

All while they had walked, Yuuno couldn't help but hold back a laugh as Sayaka's eyes constantly looked over every available space and out every window they passed, as if the sights were a feast for her vision. It kind of reminded him of how Nanoha had acted when she first arrived on the _Arthra_, but even she hadn't stared with such a dumbstruck and eager expression at everything.

"Well, I admit this is definitely one of our busier times," he replied. "But I guess you could say that it's becoming a thing with us."

"Yeah," Nanoha added with a smile. "You should have been when we-"

Suddenly, she stumbled and would have hit the floor if Yuuno and Sayaka hadn't reached out and grabbed her.

"Hey, Nanoha, are you alright?" Yuuno asked her with concern. After all, just a few hours before she had been screaming in pain as her magic was drained.

"I-I'm fine," she replied after a moment, though they still held her for a moment more before letting her free.

"You sure you should be walking around after getting a hand through your chest?" Sayaka asked, a part of her impressed by the redhead's will to push on despite having just been in a life-or-death situation.

Nanoha gave another smile at the blunette. "Don't worry about me, Miki-san. There's nothing wrong with me except for my low magical reserves right now, and the nurse said I'll just need a few days of rest to recover."

Sayaka whistled. "Well, aren't you a tough girl, huh?"

The three shared a chuckle. Despite themselves, neither Nanoha nor Yuuno could bring themselves to distrust Sayaka; she had helped saved their lives after all, Yuuno's personally, and in their eyes that made her and her partner Edgar allies. Sayaka in turn liked both of them; they were friendly and didn't act like they had sticks up their asses, so she took a shine to both of them.

After they finished, Sayaka looked back at them. "And uh, it's alright if you two just call me Sayaka, alright? I'm not that big on honorifics; kinda lost my touch with them after so many years in America."

"Oh alright...Sayaka," Nanoha replied, as if testing the name on her tongue and liking it. "That's a very nice name, by the way. And you can do the same, if you want."

"Me too," Yuuno added.

Sayaka nodded. "Thanks. So, uh, where are we going?"

"The lab where Nanoha and Fate's Devices were put for repairs, as well as their new upgrades," Yuuno replied. "They're gonna need 'em if we want to be able to go up against the Wolkenritter."

"Upgrades, huh?" Sayaka repeated, glancing down at her ring. "Must be nice to have the customization option."

Nanoha noticed her gaze and the sudden drop of her tone. "What's wrong? Can't your Device do that?"

"It's not exactly a Device," Sayaka replied. "Basically, any upgrades I get are the ones I come up with for myself. No tampering with this baby for me."

"Too dangerous?" Yuuno asked.

"You could say that," Sayaka answered cryptically, then changed the subject. "So Nanoha, your Device, Raising Heart right?"

"Yeah?" she asked, a little off-put by the sudden change but eager to hear what the blunette wanted to ask.

"How long do you think it'll take to repair? I mean, I saw the state of it back on the battlefield, and it looked kind of totaled."

"She's tough. The damage wasn't as bad as it looked, thankfully. I believed she'll be fixed in no time."

Sayaka took note of how she said 'she' while describing her Device. Then again, she remembered how that hammer girl Vita's Device occasionally talked when she called out attacks, so maybe it was just a mage's way of personifying their own Devices?

"Bardiche is the same."

Everyone turned their heads to see that blond girl, Fate walking towards them with a small smile. "Signum did quite a lot of damage to him, but my Recovery spell helped fix him up and just like Raising Heart, the damage is mostly superficial."

Nanoha and Fate embraced each other briefly when the latter made it over to them, while Sayaka and Yuuno just watched off to the side.

"Well, those two are definitely besties," the former commented. "Hard to believe they were apparently enemies just six months ago."

"She was never really our real enemy," Yuuno replied with a smile. "She just put her faith in the wrong person. Even if she was though, Nanoha would have found a way to befriend her, whether with words or with lasers. It's just her way."

Sayaka grunted in acknowledgement. She could get the former just from their interactions, and if that giant laser at the end of the fight tonight was any indication, she could see where the latter came from.

Fate let go of Nanoha and gave Yuuno a smile, which was returned, and a polite nod to Sayaka, who gave her a peace sign in return. Fate blinked in confusion, causing Sayaka to give her a brief explanation of what it meant. After that, Fate hesitantly tried it out herself, and the other nodded as she got it right. Sayaka found it kind of funny.

Soon afterwards, the four made it to their destination, the door sliding open to reveal the two Devices floating in a pink field in their standby modes. In front of it was a young woman with green hair fiddling with a control board, with several screens on showing various images and graphs that frankly hurt Sayaka's eyes to look at all in front of her. Her eyes seemed to flirt between them like a hummingbird, her fingers dancing along the digital keyboard in front of her.

It took her a moment to realize that she had company, as she visibly started when she turned around to see them in the doorway. "Ah, Nanoha, Fate, Yuuno, it's good to see you all again," she greeted warmly as she stopped typing to look at all of them, pausing when she saw Sayaka. "And who is this?"

"This is Sayaka Miki," Fate replied before the blunette could answer. "She's one of the ones who helped us back on Earth. Sayaka, this is Mariel Atenza, a Device engineer and one of our best."

The green-haired woman blinked and then smiled, holding out her hand in greeting. "I see. A pleasure, Ms. Miki. You may call me Mary."

"Hello, Ms. Atenza, and thank you," Sayaka replied, accepting the handshake with a smile of her own.

Mary then looked at Fate and Nanoha. "Here to see how your Devices are doing?" she asked as she returned to analyzing the two objects floating in front of them. One of them was a red orb and the other was a yellow triangle, both small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand and covered in cracks or chips.

Considering her own Soul Gem, Sayaka found it surprisingly easy to see how such tiny things could turn into such powerful weapons and armor. She just wished hers didn't involve ripping her soul out to get.

"Yes," Fate answered. "How long do you believe it'll take to install the Belkan cartridge system?"

Sayaka leaned over towards Yuuno. "Cartridge system?" she whispered.

"That thing that made the chibi's hammer get real big," Yuuno whispered back. "It provides quick and powerful boosts of energy in the heat of fighting to perform extremely powerful magical attacks that could take some time to charge almost instantly or would be impossible otherwise."

"...So steroids for Devices."

"...Basically, I guess."

"A few days at most I believe, though I'm thinking of giving them a little extra upgrade as well," Mary replied to Fate's question, giving them an amused look. "Your Devices were quite insistent to get it installed when I accidentally said what I had in mind out loud."

"What?" Nanoha asked, but Mary shook her finger.

"That's a secret...but let me assure you that it's gonna make a world of difference to your battles if it works. However, I need your consent if you two want to proceed with this."

The two girls turned to their respective Devices. "What do you think, Raising Heart? Do you want to go through with this test?"

**[I believe it will a good addition, Master.]**

"And what about you, Bardiche?"

**[I agree with Raising Heart, Sir.]**

The two girls looked back at Mary. "Well, I think they made their decision pretty clear," Nanoha stated. "We'll do it, both upgrades." Fate nodded in agreement alongside the pigtailed girl.

"Well, since we have your consent, there's only one thing left to do," the engineer stated as she reached underneath a table near the back of the room, Nanoha and Sayaka watching in confusion and Fate and Yuuno in resignation, before she pulled up two thick stacks of paper, easily reaching the two girls' knees. "Paperwork. I wish you two luck," she said with a grin as Nanoha and Fate looked on in horror and Sayaka and Yuuno just stared in awe.

'On second thought, maybe it's a good thing I _don't_ need upgrades.'

* * *

"You're positive about this."

"I am."

Admiral Graham leaned back in his chair and sighed, Lindy watching him with concern as he did so. Sometimes, it was easy for her to forget that the man was in his sixties despite the graying of his hair, given the level of energy that he usually went about his business. Seeing him like this now was a brutal reminder of the dangers of the mission she and her crew were going to be taking up.

"To think, the Book of Darkness would show itself on Earth of all places," he muttered, more to himself than anything. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear it had decided to take up a personal vendetta against me, to come to my own blissfully ignorant homeworld."

Lindy shook her head, well aware of what the old Admiral spoke of. "What happened to Clyde wasn't your fault, Gil. It wasn't something any of us could control; we couldn't have suspected the Book would activate in midst of transportation." It took some effort for her to keep the emotion out of her voice, even after all these years. "Clyde did what he had to do, and he wouldn't want you or me blaming ourselves for it."

A pregnant pause, then Graham nodded, his face still tired. "Forgive me, Lindy. I spoke out of line there." He seemed to draw strength then, forcing himself to move past unpleasant thoughts. "On to the important matters though, you're certain you wish for your crew to take this case?"

Despite the two of them technically sharing the same rank, Gil Graham was several decades her superior, and it was well within his rights to scrub this mission if he so chose to, especially if he got the order from TSAB command. Still, Lindy nodded.

"Yes, I do. Our recent efforts to deal with the Jewel Seeds six months prior has given myself and my crew prior experience for dealing with Earth, and it was my crew who made original contact with the Wolkenritter. I feel that's it's only right that we should be the ones to handle it."

"Assuming we ignore any personal reasonings out of professionalism..."

"We may."

"Can you say with certainty they're up for the task? The Wolkenritter easily classify as A rank mages at minimum."

"My best can compete, as our battle with them can attest," she replied with conviction. "Once Nanoha recovers and she and Fate receive their Device repairs and upgrades, they'll be a worthy match for them, and with Arf, Yuuno and my own son supporting them I'm certain they'll succeed."

"And what of the two new mages who appeared tonight, Admiral?"

Both turned their heads towards the third occupant of the room, who was standing at attention with one arm clasped behind her back, the other holding a data pad. She was clad in the standard black Enforcer uniform, with various silver lines throughout, but also had the addition of a golden armband around her right sleeve. She was a young woman in her twenties or so, with blond hair that framed her face and fell freely down her back to about mid-waist, and amethyst eyes that seemed to pierce whatever she was looking at.

Lindy held back a grimace. She had almost forgotten that she was even there, so silent she had been. This was Enforcer Valentine, her 'babysitter' for lack of a better term. She just appeared upon the _Arthra's _bridge nearly two months before, with official papers stating that she was to serve as a 'temporary watcher' over the ship's, and more specifically her, activities.

In other words, someone high up on the command ladder really didn't like how she handled the end result of the Jewel Seed Incident for some reason, though she supposed losing both a criminal that was an SS-rank mage and nine Lost Logia to the interdimensional sea without a trace would make anyone slightly angry. The two of them had had a professional relationship so far, with the Enforcer only serving as a sort of shadow over her shoulder and genuinely staying out of the spotlight or anyone's way. Even so, there was something about her that set Lindy off, a gut feeling that refused to leave her alone and thus left her always wary whenever the blonde showed herself.

The Enforcer pressed several buttons on her data pad before two images and several lines of text appeared on it, which she showed to both Admirals. They were that of both Edgar Silverstein and Sayaka Miki, along with a small playback button. She pressed the latter, and suddenly a recording started to play.

_"Where do I sign up to join the fight? Sounds like the kind of thing I would enjoy doing, and I want to take another crack at that pink one, Signum."_

"I see that they've expressed interest in aiding in the hunt for the Book of Darkness," she stated as it finished. "And yet I also see that you didn't bother to mention them while discussing your chances of defeating the Wolkenritter."

"I was getting to that, Ms. Valentine," Lindy remarked while inwardly wondering how she got that recording (probably bugged the room somehow). "Forgive me if the subject had yet to be broached, but since you've brought it up now, I will state my opinion on this matter: I wish to have both of them under my custody for the duration of this mission for the purpose of combating the Wolkenritter."

"You speak as if they're under arrest," Valentine noted.

"Not technically," Lindy countered. "But all three of us know that it's perfectly possible they'll be transferred to Mid-Childa for questioning. I want them under my command before that happens."

"I see," Graham interrupted, taking the data pad and looking over the images and information with a practiced eye. "And you feel that they can be trusted?"

"They both risked their lives to help total strangers, despite seeming having nothing to gain from it, and have cooperated with us swimmingly so far," Lindy answered. "I feel that's proof enough we can trust them, and we could use the extra firepower."

"And do you have the 'firepower' to face them if they should somehow turn?" the Enforcer asked her.

Lindy cocked an eyebrow. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any sarcasm in that question and say 'yes', yes I do."

"What do we know about them, magic-wise?" Graham asked as he handed the pad back to Valentine, cutting off any retort that might have been made. "From what I understand, one of them was placed in the medical ward for injuries sustained during the battle. If their magic was somehow absorbed by the Book during combat, we need to know what they're capable of.

"The girl, Sayaka Miki, uses a gem very similar to a Device to summon a Barrier Jacket, though it doesn't seem to create any sort of Device," Lindy replied. "She seemingly relies on her own magical ability to fight, which consists of creating and using swords that can be controlled mentally."

"The man, Edgar Silverstein, on the other hand, doesn't seem to truly use magic in the same way. He's an accomplished swordsman who can use magic yes, but any of his offensive spells seem to originate from his weapon, which consist of pure mana attacks," Valentine added, pressing another button on her pad to reveal a projected image of the sword in question. "The crystal part of the blade seems to be the source of magical power at his disposal or at least the main focus, functioning similarly to what could be equated to an archaic Device. It also seemingly has the ability to absorb mana, as several of our tests showed it absorbing the spells in question. We even managed to get a reaction out of the blade to fire a burst of crimson mana...even though it fried most of our sensors upon discharge."

Lindy decided not to mention that she had not been privy to _any _such test results and had in fact not seen the sword in question since it was brought aboard, having been confiscated 'under orders'. She suddenly had a very good idea exactly who had ordered it. "We also have reports of him, according to Ms. Takamachi and Ms. Testarossa, turning into a 'shadow demon' during the battle," she added on with the explanation, ignoring those thoughts (as well as her ire) for now, "but neither could confirm it, due to either being too far away or currently attempting to fire a powerful spell while getting her Linker Core drained."

She resisted the urge to smile as Valentine seemed to get a little quieter at that, as if she was annoyed that she had information she didn't.

Admiral Graham nodded, then folded his hands in thought. "Admiral, if I help you with this, do you promise me you'll make sure that these two will not attempt to betray us in any way to side with the enemy?"

Lindy nodded. "I do. Plus, if they serve without problems, it could very well lead us to getting two new recruits. Stopping Lost Logia is a very useful thing to have on the resume after all."

Graham chuckled, then turned to Valentine. "Enforcer Valentine, what are your thoughts? After all, you are an official liaison to the TSAB high command."

The Enforcer was silent for a moment or two, then sighed in what sounded like defeat. "As long as Admiral Harlaown can keep an eye on them and agrees to take personal responsibility for both of them, so be it. I won't attempt to fight the decision either way. This mission is far too important to risk failure; if they can help us, then let them join."

Lindy actually found herself surprised by the Enforcer's willingness, condition aside, but before she could say anything, Graham stood up.

"Well, Admiral Harlaown? Do you accept responsibility?"

Lindy sighed, but nodded. She had come too far by this point. "Yes sir."

Graham nodded and held out his hand.

"Well, Admiral Harlaown, congratulations. This mission is yours, and the two of them are yours to command. I'll see to the paperwork personally."

"Thank you, Admiral Graham," she replied, shaking his hand, then, slowly offered Valentine the same. "And you too, Enforcer Valentine."

The blond stared at the hand in surprise for a moment, then slowly took it. "Thank you."

With that, the two of them prepared to leave the room. However, Graham suddenly spoke up, stopping them.

"Actually, Ms. Valentine, could you stay here for a moment? There's something I need to speak to you about."

Valentine hesitated only for a moment before nodding, and Lindy gave a brief farewell to both of them as she exited, slightly curious as to what they were going to talk about but mostly just relieved her requests had been granted.

Now she just had to break the news to everyone.

* * *

"Are you sure that was wise?"

Valentine looked back over at the Admiral, raising an eyebrow at his question. "Does it matter? One way or another, the Book of Darkness must be filled. If those two end up of providing their power, then so much the better as it fills the book up faster. If the Wolkenritter don't finish them, I'll do so personally if they become a problem."

Graham grimaced, sitting back down with a tired sigh as he rubbed his head. "Why did things have to come to this?"

Valentine didn't answer him, knowing there wasn't anything to say in turn. "Just make sure nothing goes wrong on your end, Admiral," she said instead, moving towards the door, "especially with the Twins."

"Trust me, both of them are dedicated to this mission...and I believe they're far more willing than I, to be honest."

Valentine sighed, stopping in front of the exit, glancing back at him with pity. "I don't wish this upon the child either, but it must be done. We have our orders: The Book must be ended by any means necessary. You were the one who originally brought the plan forward when you still didn't see the girl as anything other than a means to an end. Now that you have, at least have the decency to carry it out as quickly as possible, for all involved."

She left the old man alone then, exiting without a word. Graham watched her go, then sighed again as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a picture.

It was a little brown-headed girl in a wheelchair, with blue eyes and a bright smile that seemed to shine despite being a mere photograph. Despite the apparent cheer of the picture though, it only brought pain to the man's heart as he looked upon it.

"...It was only a small wish..." he muttered to himself, lost in memory.

* * *

_**Morning (Uminari City)**_

Edgar Silverstein was a man well-accustomed to strange situations. Being able to traverse various dimensions meant you had to learn pretty quickly how to adapt to very strange circumstances. He had been involved in private sit-downs with beings who could move celestial bodies, went on a ride with a creature who could tear a person apart with her mind, even had tea with a literal devil.

However, sitting in front of a cafe with a bandaged arm along with a group of mages who could quite possibly blow this entire city to pieces if they decided to cut loose was definitely a new one for him.

After he had been left alone in the medical ward again, albeit with two mages watching from the outside, he had taken the liberty of changing into his usual clothes, which had graciously been provided for him after the others had left, and had left under the watchful eye of both mages, whose names were Robert and George. They then showed him on a limited tour of the ship before they were called over intercom to the meeting room, where most of the crew already was.

From there, he had listened to Admiral Lindy as she more or less explained that they were taking on the case, but their ship the _Arthra _wouldn't be available for a few days, so they needed to make a temporary command post in the city, which he learned was named Uminari. It was also then he learned that both he and Sayaka were officially being allowed to join the investigation, albeit after a few 'tests' of their abilities. From there, they had been sent back to Earth by some sort of magic transporter on the station and a few hectic hours later he was here with a cup of tea in hand.

To be honest, it was definitely a welcome breath of fresh air compared to how he was usually treated when captured by a higher power.

"This is some nice tea," he commented politely to the owner of the establishment. "I can see why people like coming to your business, Mr. Takamachi."

The grayish brown-haired man smiled. "It's the least I can offer you after what you did to help my daughter," he replied, gesturing over to another table, where Nanoha and Fate were sitting with two other young girls, a blonde named Arisa and a purple-headed girl named Suzuka, chatting away amiably (though with visible hesitation on Fate's part) with each other. Sayaka was also with them, her face currently in something resembling equal parts embarrassment and reluctance at being part of the conversation due to being an outsider both in terms of age and circumstance, though she seemed to be slowly warming up to the process along with Fate. Also with them were two animals, an ash-blond ferret and a red puppy currently being snuggled or petted by the five to varying amounts. "After hearing about what happened from both her and Ms. Harlaown, I can't thank you enough."

"What I did is something any decent person would have done if they had the opportunity and ability," Edgar replied. "It's just what I do."

"That doesn't make myself or Shirō any less grateful," Momoko Takamachi, Nanoha's mother, replied from where she was standing with Admiral Lindy, having taken notice of the conversation between the two men. "Especially given you didn't come out off of it unscathed."

Edgar looked down at his bandaged left arm. "Oh this? This is but a flesh wound. I'll be as right as rain in a few days, tops." He chuckled at himself, though inwardly he was slightly concerned. Normally, his body was more than capable of healing itself at an accelerated rate, and he had even been treated by a healing mage while on board the _Arthra_. The proof of it was in the fact his injuries from fighting Signum were more or less gone, including the pain in his back where she had shot him. Yet despite that his arm was still in this cast, as according to scanners the bones and muscles _were _healing faster than normal, just at a slower rate than the norm for him.

In other words, whatever was causing this wasn't just physical damage.

He couldn't help but remember back when he felt that draining effect at the end of the battle upon hitting whatever was on the other side of the portal, no doubt the Book of Darkness itself, as well as coming back with just a stump of an arm. He had little doubt it was connected.

"So, just curious, but is Sayaka related to you in any way?" Shirō suddenly asked, breaking Edgar out of his thoughts. "You two seem rather close."

"Yes, we are, but no, we're not related," he replied with a smile, glad that the conversation changed from his arm. "She'd lost almost everything, her friends and family, thanks to a horrific accident. I found her, took a shine to her and...well, kind of unofficially adopted her as my own kid or sister, I guess." He chuckled as he took another sip of tea. "I just hope I don't become a grandparent or uncle before I'm thirty-five."

Technically, he was over a hundred and he did have several children out of wedlock over that time, all of which he had sent money to support and find worthwhile lives for themselves, but no reason to mention that. That was private, especially considering he never knew any of them on a personal level due to his own...family issues.

"That reminds me, where exactly are you two staying while you're in Uminari?" Momoko asked him. "I understand you're helping Lindy-san while you're here but-"

"I took care of it," Lindy answered for him. "An apartment right next to myself, Chrono and Fate, with even the official paperwork to pass it. We're gonna be seeing a lot of each other as neighbors for the next couple of days."

"I'm surprised you managed to do all of that, plus set up a mini-command center in your apartment and enroll Fate in the very same school Nanoha's going to in less than a day," Edgar remarked, giving her a glance. "I've gotten tickets to shows that had longer waiting periods."

"A perk of being an Admiral," she answered him with a smirk as she stirred her own green tea. "You get plenty of pull when it comes to getting things done quick."

Edgar rolled his eyes but then looked at her tea in confusion. Lindy noticed and cocked her head. "Something wrong?"

"...Why are you putting sugar and milk in green tea?" he asked her. "I'm no expert on teas, but I'm pretty sure than combination doesn't work well with this type."

She looked down at her cup as if just noticing it for the first time. "Tastes fine to me," she commented as she took a sip, sighing appreciatively. "I like it this way."

Edgar was silent for a moment, then suddenly reached over to grab the sugar bowl and the carton of milk, pouring some of each into his own green tea and stirring the mixture. The Takamachi's watched with some level of trepidation as he did so.

"Umm...Edgar...are you sure you wanna do that?" Shirō asked. "That might not agree with your-"

"If she can take it, I can," he replied simply. "After all, it's not like it can kill me, so why not? I'm eager to try new things, and what have I got to lose anyways?"

The older man could think of several things, but he didn't say anything as Edgar finished stirring and raised his cup to the three of them.

"Bottom's up, as they say in America," he remarked as he took a gulp of tea.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Edgar's eyes seemed to bulge as he suddenly made a strange gagging noise with his mouth still close, raising his bandaged hand to his mouth as he seemed to undergo a strange sort of reaction to the taste, doubling over as if in pain. After a second or two of muffled gagging, in which he quickly turned away from the other adults, he seemed to steel himself and forced himself to swallow the mouthful of liquid, gagging as it passed down his throat and thumping his chest a few times as it went down. He then looked down at his cup and dumped it out on a plant that was nearby, graciously accepting a cup of water from Momoko which he used to clean out his mouth and ignoring how all of them, including the kids by their own table, were watching him.

"How was it?" Shirō asked him simply, trying and failing to hide the smirk on his face. Edgar gave him a look and shook his head, realizing he deserved that one.

"Nasty," he answered after a pause from drinking, "I'll happily pay you back if that plant dies from that stuff." Looking over at Lindy, who seemed both amused and shocked by his reaction, he shook his head in respect. "I don't see how you handle it."

She humphed. "To each their own," she replied, taking another sip of her tea.

* * *

Over by the girls and the animals (i.e. Yuuno and Arf in their transformed states), all seven of them just stared as Edgar drank down a few more cups of water while the other adults just laughed. Finally, Fate broke the silence.

"Mr. Silverstein is quite...eccentric, isn't he?"

Sayaka sighed. "You have no idea."

* * *

**A bit of a filler chapter this one, but I needed to set up several important points and this seemed like the best way to do so. So, we're introduced to the one of the biggest changes to the timeline, the inclusion of our mysterious Enforcer Valentine. Exactly what role she will play, both in _A's_ and in the future, shall be revealed in time.**

**Next chapter, we're gonna be seeing some actual (mock) combat as Oswald and Sayaka show off what they can do to a curious _Arthra _crew, as well as several other bits of varying importance.**

**Review, fave and follow people! Tell me what you thought!**


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